well-known
Americanadjective
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clearly or fully known.
The well-known reasons are obvious.
-
generally or widely known.
a well-known painting.
- Synonyms:
- celebrated, noted, famous, prominent
adjective
-
widely known; famous; celebrated
-
known fully or clearly
Etymology
Origin of well-known
late Middle English word dating back to 1425–75
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Research suggests investors are better off embracing a global portfolio and directly pursuing well-known, reliable return premiums, namely those associated with smaller size, lower valuation and higher profitability.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 23, 2026
Those margins are closely watched by Wall Street analysts who expect the number to keep trending up—despite the well-known memory shortage.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 19, 2026
The research by the universities of Sussex and Exeter found microplastics in 16 out of the 19 brands that were tested, including "very well-known ones".
From BBC • Jun. 19, 2026
One well-known example is the "cat state," where an oscillator exists as a superposition of two wave packets moving in opposite directions.
From Science Daily • Jun. 15, 2026
Figure 4.41: Although limited by the fact that it can only play one harmonic series, the bugle can still play many well-known tunes.
From "Understanding Basic Music Theory" by Catherine Schmidt-Jones and Russel Jones
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
