well-known
Americanadjective
-
clearly or fully known.
The well-known reasons are obvious.
-
generally or widely known.
a well-known painting.
- Synonyms:
- celebrated, noted, famous, prominent
adjective
-
widely known; famous; celebrated
-
known fully or clearly
Etymology
Origin of well-known
late Middle English word dating back to 1425–75
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.
“They all have their own independent records and are pretty well-known by their communities.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 20, 2026
The criminals exploit a well-known flaw in the cards most low-income Americans use to obtain aid: magnetic-stripe technology invented in the 1960s.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 20, 2026
"When someone becomes quite well-known in one area, it will be flagged to our area, so we are forewarned and can identify them a lot earlier before they commit multiple crimes," she said.
From BBC ● Sep. 16, 2026
In order to save money and have enough for discretionary items, it may be more helpful to maintain these spending levels than to use the well-known rules of thumb.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 15, 2026
They were confident that when the judge heard from them all and realized that the police had imprisoned a well-known businessman, the judge might very well release him that day.
From "Zeitoun" by Dave Eggers
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.
