notorious

[noh-tawr-ee-uhs, nuh-]

adjective

1. widely and unfavorably known.

   a notorious gambler.

   Synonyms: disreputable, flagrant, arrant, egregious, ill-famed, infamous

2. publicly or generally known, as for a particular trait.

   a newspaper that is notorious for its sensationalism.

   Synonyms: famous, conspicuous, prominent, celebrated, renowned, notable

notorious

/ nəʊˈtɔːrɪəs, ˌnəʊtəˈraɪɪtɪ /

adjective

1. well-known for some bad or unfavourable quality, deed, etc; infamous

2. rare,  generally known or widely acknowledged

Other Word Forms

• notoriously adverb
• notoriousness noun
• notoriety noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of notorious¹

First recorded in 1540–50; from Medieval Latin nōtōrius “well known, public,” from Late Latin nōtōria “a notice, news, intelligence” and nōtōrium “indictment, (criminal) charge,” equivalent to nō(scere) “to get to know” + -tōrius adjective suffix; notify, -tory ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of notorious¹

C16: from Medieval Latin notōrius well-known, from nōtus known, from noscere to know

Example Sentences

I have a theory, however, that the band's notorious dislike of "the old stuff" is an elaborate ruse.

Read more on BBC

“Nonsense; that is mere superstition. There have been many competent lady sailors, and even notorious lady pirates. Not that being a pirate is anything to brag about.”

Read more on Literature

Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau said he was “one of the most notorious organized-crime figures in Latin America.”

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

In 2021, the US sanctioned its Rapid Action Battalion - a notorious police unit accused of carrying out numerous extra-judicial killings - citing human rights violations.

Read more on BBC

Pound was a notorious antisemite—long inclined that way, he was getting worse by the time of “Make It New.”

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• blatant 
• flagrant 
• infamous 
• prominent 
• well-known 

When To Use

What does notorious mean?

Notorious most commonly means famous or well-known for a negative reason.The word 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.Notorious can also mean known for a particular trait or action, not necessarily a bad one. For example, you might be notorious for wearing the same outfit every Friday, or your aunt might be notorious for arriving late to family events.The state or quality of being notorious is notoriety.Example: The island prison known as Alcatraz was known for holding some of America’s most notorious criminals.