Usage
What does notoriety mean? Notoriety is the state or quality of being famous or well-known, especially for a negative reason. If often means the state or quality of being notorious, which is especially used to describe people who are widely known and viewed unfavorably for their actions, such as notorious criminals. It can also be applied to events, as in a notorious scandal. This sense of notorious is often used interchangeably with the word infamous. Strictly speaking, infamous means having, deserving, or resulting in a bad or evil reputation, while notorious usually implies that a person is both famous and disliked. Still, they usually mean just about the same thing. A noun form of infamous, infamy, is often used interchangeably with notoriety. Notorious can also mean known for a particular trait or action, not necessarily a bad one, as in My aunt is notorious for arriving late to family events. Notoriety can refer to the state of being known in this way. In some cases, it can mean much the same thing as fame, and in fact the two words are often used side by side, as in It’s unbelievable what some people will do for fame and notoriety. Notoriety is often discussed as being earned, gained, or achieved, as in The company gained notoriety for its irreverent marketing campaigns. Example: He gained notoriety for his role in the scandal, and his reputation has never recovered.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of notoriety
1585–95; < Medieval Latin nōtōrietās, equivalent to nōtōri ( us ) notorious + -etās, variant (after -i- ) of -ity
Explanation
Notoriety is fame you get from doing something bad or being part of a misfortune or scandal. Just remember: Notoriety's not al-righty. Charles Manson earned notoriety for his grisly crimes. In our celebrity culture, it's hard not to think that seizing your 15 minutes of fame is worth the shame of earning it through stupidity, scandal, or evil. (See: people's motives for going on reality television.) We ordinary mortals can comfort ourselves with the knowledge that most people who become notorious fade from the public mind quickly.
Vocabulary lists containing notoriety
100 SAT Words Beginning with "N"
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
30 GRE Words Beginning with "K" "L""M" and "N" and "O"
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Bob Dylan Wins Nobel Prize in Literature
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
Faye, and her husband/producing partner, have parlayed this notoriety into indie, cool-kid projects that are just commercial enough that some of the target audiences’ boomer parents may also watch.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026
Paris Hilton, at the height of her notoriety, managed to trademark her catchphrase “That’s Hot” in categories including clothing, electronic devices and alcohol.
From Salon ● Jul. 7, 2026
The celebration gained some notoriety when the Washington Post ran a picture of Reagan trying—and apparently failing—to cut in on a dance between Sinatra and Nancy Reagan.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 10, 2026
Conditions there have prompted outcry from rights groups, and UN experts have condemned it as a site of "unparalleled notoriety."
From Barron's ● Jun. 10, 2026
While I enjoyed the notoriety, a cold anxiety was slowly growing in my gut.
From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss
Beauties there were too, past, present, and some, coming; a fair share of the notorieties of fashion, and the last winner of the Derby, with—let me not forget him—a Quarterly Reviewer.
From Diary And Notes Of Horace Templeton, Esq. Volume I (of II) by Lever, Charles James
Obviously they spent their lives in meeting notorieties on inbound steamers, and made naught of it.
From Your United States Impressions of a first visit by Bennett, Arnold
Indeed, it is the same with all contemporary notorieties.
From The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 09, No. 54, April, 1862 by Various
He seems to me abnormally lacking in personal ambition,—does not seem to care whether he is heard of or not,—has a sort of contempt for the little neighborhood notorieties which give most men pleasure.
From Flint His Faults, His Friendships and His Fortunes by Goodwin, Maud Wilder
We have arrived here at an opportune moment,—time to see all the notorieties of the place at the races, which began to-day.
From The Dodd Family Abroad, Vol. II by Lever, Charles James
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.
