big name
noun
a person who has a preeminent public reputation in a specified field.
big name
1 Americannoun
big-name
2
American
[big-naym]
/ ˈbɪgˌneɪm /
adjective
-
having a widespread public reputation as a leader in a specified field; famous.
a big-name doctor; a big-name actress.
-
of, relating to, or composed of a big-name person or persons.
big name
British
noun
Etymology
Origin of big name1
An Americanism dating back to 1930–35
Origin of big-name2
An Americanism dating back to 1925–30
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.
See Examples For:
Health-ring maker Oura is the latest big name to put its IPO plans on hold, joining a growing list of companies rethinking their public-market debuts.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026
One big name likely to stay far from the Venice limelight is Elon Musk, the central figure in a documentary from US filmmaker Alex Gibney.
From Barron's ● Sep. 2, 2026
Defending champion Coco Gauff is the latest big name to exit the French Open after a third-round defeat by Anastasia Potapova.
From BBC ● May 30, 2026
The easy thing then would have been to play it safe and hire a big name from the glittering ranks of unemployed managers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 29, 2026
A big name for such a little guy.
From "The Thing About Jellyfish" by Ali Benjamin
But that hasn’t stopped a big-name manager from recently entering this corner of the market.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 18, 2026
At a time when many big-name comedians continue to fall out of favor with viewers, that might be Hargitay’s most crucial asset.
From Salon ● Sep. 8, 2026
He has slashed .234/.357/.486 over 1,039 regular-season games with the club, anchoring lineups alongside countless big-name teammates while evolving into a trustworthy defender.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2026
He also has a tendency to get starry-eyed around big-name pitchers; his awe of Mr. Skubal verges on sycophantic.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
“Moss, she’s from NBC. You know, one of them big-name reporters?”
From "Anger Is a Gift" by Mark Oshiro
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
