renowned
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of renowned
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How does renowned compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
Celebrated, gushed over, and even legendary, something that's renowned is really famous. If you not only find a cure for cancer, but you also go on lots of talk shows so everyone knows who you are, then you'll be a renowned scientist. Renown comes from the Anglo-Norman for "re-name," as in repeatedly name, so something renowned is something that people are talking about, or naming, over and over. If you are a huge celebrity, people from your home town might boast, "The renowned Madame X was born here." Something renowned is really good, not just famous. Just because you make the cover of a trashy tabloid magazine doesn't mean you're a renowned actress. But if you win an Oscar, you are.
Vocabulary lists containing renowned
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"The Odyssey" by Homer, Books 14–18
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The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind
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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.
Part of the pressure comes from parents who also see their child as their only hope for the future, says renowned Chinese sociologist and director of the Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology, Xiang Biao.
From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026
Following those departures, Google moved renowned AI researcher Demis Hassabis into Dean’s chair and put Koray Kavukcuoglu, one of its most senior AI figures, in charge of its Gemini models and AI research efforts.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026
His teacher advised him to check out the renowned improv troupe Second City.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 25, 2026
Hordes of international influencers have flown to the U.S. specifically to try the crispy chicken and that renowned dipping sauce.
From Slate ● Aug. 24, 2026
No few had fallen, renowned or nameless, captain or soldier; for it was a great battle and the full count of it no tale has told.
From "The Return of the King" by J.R.R. Tolkien
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.
