fame
Americannoun
-
widespread reputation, especially of a favorable character; renown; public eminence.
to seek fame as an opera singer.
-
common estimation or opinion generally held of a person or thing; reputation.
verb (used with object)
noun
-
the state of being widely known or recognized; renown; celebrity
-
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
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!
"Mysteries of the Ancient Past"
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!
"The New Colossus"
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:
The documentary portrays Leto as a celebrity who leveraged his fame to connect with young fans and control them.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026
The singer rose to fame in 2022 when his song "Romantic Homicide" became a viral sensation on TikTok.
From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026
An exhibition at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art considers the controversial 1905 painting and the Salon that launched the artist and his fellow Fauvists to fame.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 25, 2026
Jimothy would not be the first to attract online fame for such a condition, Australian YouTuber Lessons in Meme Culture points out, external.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
Today you would never guess that it had ever known fame.
From "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson
Bestselling author and famed election and sports projection-model creator Nate Silver reposted the poll on Friday, writing: “This is what’s wrong with Britain.”
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026
She lived in a one-story house and worked painting pottery at the famed Madoura studio, which attracted Picasso and other French artists.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026
The battle over Warner Brothers began last year, when media giants Netflix and Paramount went to war over the famed movie studio and its prized back catalog.
From Barron's ● Jul. 20, 2026
In contrast, Wilson - often anchored by his ever-present pipe and Gannex coat - was famed for a pragmatic, utilitarian wardrobe that defined the "cloth-cap" socialism of the 1960s and 70s.
From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2026
The city was, in the words of famed poet Carl Sandburg, “fierce as a dog with tongue lapping for action.”
From "1919 The Year That Changed America" by Martin W. Sandler
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.
