reputation

American  

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

noun

reputations plural

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.

---

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

---

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.

Synonym Usage

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

Derived Forms

• self-reputation
  noun
• reputational
  adjective
• reputationless
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• reputations
  plural

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”; see repute) + -iō -ion

Explanation

Your reputation is the general belief or opinion that other people have about you. If you are considered trustworthy and kind, you have a good reputation. Reputation comes from the Latin word reputationem, which means "consideration." It's how people consider, or label, you — good or bad. The noun reputation can also mean "being known for having a specific skill or characteristic." For example, if you have a reputation in snow shoveling, your phone will soon be ringing off the hook with your lazy neighbors calling.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

reputation reputations

He embraced the nickname “Satan,” which a former client affixed after Reilly went to work for an archrival, as a reflection of his reputation for intimidation and mastery of the political dark arts.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 26, 2026

The town of Ponticelli, on the outskirts of Naples, has earned the unenviable reputation as one of the world's child obesity capitals.

From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2026

He came of age after the Soviet collapse and built his reputation in a new Ukrainian army that embraced modern methods of war.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

“One hike gets you more than you might think for your reputation when you are new to the job,” said Marc Sumerlin of Evenflow Macro.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026

She didn’t want to ruin Elisha’s reputation, yet wanted to save her own.

From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock

The suspected problem appears across thousands of journals published by major companies, including journals with strong reputations and high impact.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 16, 2026

They “describe” an environment that has harmed their reputations and livelihoods.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026

Some players have reputations to rebuild and international careers to salvage.

From BBC ● Jun. 3, 2026

But while others established national reputations — Anaheim for Disneyland and sports teams, Westminster and Garden Grove for their slices of Little Saigon — Stanton remained an outcast.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 28, 2026

For a time she put on a Red Cross uniform and met other ladies similarly dressed in the armory, where bandages were rolled and reputations unrolled.

From "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck

Related Words

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