fame
Americannoun
-
widespread reputation, especially of a favorable character; renown; public eminence.
to seek fame as an opera singer.
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common estimation or opinion generally held of a person or thing; reputation.
verb (used with object)
noun
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the state of being widely known or recognized; renown; celebrity
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archaic rumour or public report
verb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of fame
1175–1225; Middle English < Anglo-French, Old French < Latin fāma talk, public opinion, repute, akin to fārī to speak
Explanation
Fame is what you have if you're a celebrity: a lot of people know who you are. A musician's fame might mean she wears sunglasses and a baseball cap to disguise herself when she's in public. Movie stars, rock stars, well-known public figures — these are all people who have achieved some amount of fame. You may have a kind of fame in a much smaller sphere: "She won every spelling bee in the state, which gave her some fame at her school." Fame is an Old French word that means "reputation or renown," from the Latin fama, "rumor, reputation, or renown," and also "ill-fame" or "scandal."
Vocabulary lists containing fame
Academy Awards, List 5
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"Mysteries of the Ancient Past"
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"The New Colossus"
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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:
His late ’90s breakthrough in the triple-hitter lineup of “Halloween: H20,” “The Faculty” and “The Virgin Suicides” catapulted him to international fame practically overnight, cementing his place alongside the era’s Tiger Beat celebrity infatuations.
From Salon ● Oct. 9, 2026
Josh Hartnett is sharing insights into his decision to leave Hollywood at the peak of his fame almost 20 years ago.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026
Several marvelous larger-than-life photographs of her—O’Keeffe’s fame has always been amplified by images of her striking appearance, many taken by her husband and foremost promoter, Alfred Stieglitz—add panache.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026
His newfound TV fame means he has been spotted while out and about in Birmingham.
From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026
Cannons are supposed to be loud, that's their claim to fame, and—like it or not—the moving sidewalk is bound to end sooner or later.
From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris
But research into the life story of Vanke, now living in Breaston, Derbyshire, has written a new chapter on the history of Bletchley Park's famed codebreakers.
From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2026
Look for inflation protection and unappreciated players in artificial intelligence, says the famed hedge-fund founder.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 10, 2026
Unveiled just two years ago and constructed for only four festivals, versions of the sound system have played at famed European events Glastonbury in England and Dekmantel in Amsterdam.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2026
"It's such a privilege, it's extraordinary," she said of hearing "hallelujah" sung across the famed avenue.
From Barron's ● Sep. 26, 2026
Indeed, a famed Chinese scholar had once named twelve small wonders of the world; eleven of them were Chinese, and the twelfth was the color of Korean celadon pottery!
From "A Single Shard" by Linda Sue Park
In the 1930s, drought and bad faming methods destroyed 100 million acres of farmland around Oklahoma and forced families to leave, many for California.
From Time ● Apr. 10, 2015
In Strype's edition, 1720, he says, concerning this gate, "Leaving out the fable thereof faming it to be builded by King Belin, a Briton, long before the incarnation of Christ."
From Notes and Queries, Number 11, January 12, 1850 by Various
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.
