reputation

American  

[rep-yuh-tey-shuhn] / ˌrɛp yəˈteɪ ʃən /

noun

1. the estimation in which a person or thing is held, especially by the community or the public generally; repute.

   a man of good reputation.

   Synonyms:

   name, regard

2. favorable repute; good name.

   to ruin one's reputation by misconduct.

   Synonyms:

   recognition, honor, esteem, renown, distinction, fame

   Antonyms:

   disrepute

3. a favorable and publicly recognized name or standing for merit, achievement, reliability, etc..

   to build up a reputation.

4. the estimation or name of being, having, having done, etc., something specified.

   He has the reputation of being a shrewd businessman.

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reputation British  

/ ˌrɛpjʊˈteɪʃən /

noun

1. the estimation in which a person or thing is generally held; opinion

2. a high opinion generally held about a person or thing; esteem

3. notoriety or fame, esp for some specified characteristic

4. to be known or notorious, esp for promiscuity, excessive drinking, or the like

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Usage

What does reputation mean? A reputation is the opinion people or a wider community have of a person, group of people, company, or similar, as in The restaurant had a reputation for slow service but excellent food.A reputation is also someone’s favorable standing in the community, as in Stella protected her business’s reputation by always giving excellent customer service.A reputation also means being known for something. In this sense, you can have a good reputation or a bad one, as in Hanging around with violent gangs will get you a reputation.Note that reputation is different from character. Your reputation is what other people think of you, while your character is your internal qualities. A reputation is often about perception, which means it’s not always factual. Knowing where a reputation comes from can help you determine if it’s deserved or not.Example: The university had a reputation for turning out influential artists.

Related Words

Reputation, character are often confused. Reputation, however, is the word which refers to the position one occupies or the standing that one has in the opinion of others, in respect to attainments, integrity, and the like: a fine reputation; a reputation for honesty. Character is the combination of moral and other traits which make one the kind of person one actually is (as contrasted with what others think of one): Honesty is an outstanding trait of his character. See credit.

Other Word Forms

• reputational adjective
• reputationless adjective
• self-reputation noun

Etymology

Origin of reputation

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English reputacioun, from Latin reputātiōn-, stem of reputātiō “computation, consideration,” from reputāt(us) “computed, considered” (past participle of reputāre “to compute, consider”; repute ) + -iō -ion

Example Sentences

I wrote this week about how Google reclaimed its reputation for developing cutting-edge products in the age of AI.

From The Wall Street Journal

England picked a relatively inexperienced pace attack for the Ashes and only Josh Tongue and Jofra Archer emerged with their reputations enhanced.

From BBC

With 22 knockouts in his 23 wins, Matias entered with a reputation for relentless pressure and heavy hands.

From BBC

Pace bowler Josh Tongue emerged with his reputation enhanced, while Jacob Bethell's coming-of-age century in the final Test was a belated silver lining.

From BBC

"Generations of British athletes have built their reputations on talent, dedication, and integrity. The Enhanced Games stands in direct opposition to those values."

From BBC

Related Words

• character
• fame
• honor
• influence
• name
• notoriety
• opinion
• position
• prestige
• prominence
• standing
• stature