big name
noun
a person who has a preeminent public reputation in a specified field.
big name
1 Americannoun
big-name
2
American
[big-neym]
/ 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:
For example, you can't pay player X £5m in year one of an excluded deal, then just £100 in year's two and three, rinse and repeat with a new big name every year.
From BBC ● Aug. 4, 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
To use as bargaining chips for either a big name like the Milwaukee Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo or, better yet, to acquire important foundational pieces to retrofit the roster around Luka Doncic?
From Los Angeles Times ● May 27, 2026
Those payouts can range from a few hundred dollars for social-media posts promoting a local restaurant to five-figure trading card deals for big name players.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 10, 2026
They march to the border of Grosse Pointe with his big name and his face on big posters, and they shout, “I am Kasim Anderson!”
From "American Street" by Ibi Zoboi
His ratings plummeted further with a number of big-name players leaving on free transfers, including England duo Alessia Russo and Mary Earps, as well as Batlle.
From BBC ● Aug. 3, 2026
“There just aren’t that many star-level players in the game,” Friedman said Wednesday afternoon when asked how aggressive the Dodgers would be in pursuing big-name players.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 30, 2026
A solid trading debut by SBI Funds Management could provide a much-needed lift to India’s relatively subdued IPO market, indicating robust investor interest in big-name listings.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026
Signing big-name athletes lends "attention, credibility and relevance", Elisa Harca from marketing agency Red Ant Asia told AFP.
From Barron's ● Jul. 3, 2026
“Moss, she’s from NBC. You know, one of them big-name reporters?”
From "Anger Is a Gift" by Mark Oshiro
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.
