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:
Pop star Christina Aguilera has been announced as the final big name addition to the line-up for a royal estate music event.
From BBC ● Jun. 4, 2026
Heron Power, a start-up focused on making solid-state transformers for data centers, has been raising money at a fast clip from big name investors.
From Barron's ● Jun. 4, 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
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
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
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
The sustained success on the track has allowed Painter and Meadows to expand the scale of their operation, with backing from big-name sponsors helping to add an assistant coach, track-side physiotherapist and dedicated physiologist.
From BBC ● Aug. 10, 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
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.
