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
More Positive Words to Describe a Person
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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.
To help bring that vision to life, Meow Wolf has entered into a creative partnership with Titmouse, one of L.A.’s most renowned independent animation houses.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 9, 2026
"It is simply unacceptable that a country with millions of football fans should lag so far behind in football," renowned Bangladeshi actor, writer and football fan Audite Karim tells the BBC.
From BBC • Jul. 4, 2026
Alpha’s Davlantes says, “We have globally renowned learning scientists who help build Alpha’s model based on decades of foundational research,” adding, “They are part of a larger team of highly qualified academics behind the platform.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 4, 2026
"My grandmother had dreamed of becoming a renowned artist in Cape Verde, but her parents didn't want her to sing," said the mother of two.
From Barron's • Jul. 2, 2026
Every few months Fadi would accompany his mother and Noor to a carefully chosen location arranged by a bookseller whose renowned shop had been raided and shut down.
From "Shooting Kabul" by N. H. Senzai
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.
