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

It is the birthplace of “rehabilitative” solitary confinement and for more than a century, held some of America’s most notorious criminals.

From Salon

A Chinese court has sentenced to death 11 members of a notorious family that ran scam centres in Myanmar, according to Chinese state media.

From BBC

The notorious 1991 yogurt shop murders in Austin, Texas, have finally been solved.

From Salon

Now, a new Netflix film tells the lesser-known story of an Indian police officer who captured the notorious killer - not once, but twice.

From BBC

More than 12,000 international travelers arriving in Los Angeles, some for the first time, had to be shuttled elsewhere through LAX for processing, adding extra time at the airport already notorious for traffic.

From Los Angeles Times

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.