renowned
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
- renownedly adverb
- renownedness noun
- unrenowned adjective
Etymology
Origin of renowned
Compare meaning
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.
We had planned to visit one of the city’s renowned art museums, but instead opted for a ramble through the Dorsoduro district.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 2, 2026
Within months the soldiers were building their own drones and attaching munitions, and soon became renowned as 414th Brigade, the Birds of Magyar.
From BBC • Apr. 27, 2026
The Lakers embattled basketball boss smartly acquired renowned shooter Kennard from the Atlanta Hawks in early February for Gabe Vincent and a second-round draft pick and … are you kidding me?
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 19, 2026
The title track has been written by renowned composer David Arnold, who has previously worked on five Bond films.
From BBC • Apr. 16, 2026
Pythagoras may have been an ancient New Age thinker, but he was a powerful orator, a renowned scholar, and a charismatic teacher.
From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife
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.
