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.

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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.

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

Postal outfit who has spent his apres-racing career trying to improve the sport’s reputation and make it possible for racers to ride clean.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026

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

“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

"The defendant has accepted that the publication of the article caused serious harm to Mr Akhtar's reputation and also caused him great distress," he said.

From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026

His honorable reputation preceded him, and his word was his bond— you could always trust what he said.

From "Reaching for the Moon" by Katherine Johnson

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

In fact, as Mr. Bentley’s drama reminds us, they stretched on for a decade, laying waste to careers, reputations and lives.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 18, 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

The money, in their view, not only has to make up for mounting legal fees, but lost income, tainted reputations, fractured families, and years spent behind bars.

From Slate ● May 28, 2026

Women received theirs in their own rooms and were kept separated from the men to protect their reputations.

From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson

Related Words

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