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.
Ives, who also launched a colorful clothing line last year, is closely followed as one of the most well-known and bullish tech analysts.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 7, 2026
This is something that is very well-known in administrative law and in economics—this concept of agency capture or regulatory capture.
From Slate ● Oct. 5, 2026
Dhanda says her well-known street theatre group, Jana Natya Manch, often faces hurdles performing in public spaces.
From BBC ● Oct. 2, 2026
Next came the Daytime Emmy-winning TV series “Pee-wee’s Playhouse,” which ran from 1986 through 1990 and helped kick-start the careers of now well-known stars including Phil Hartman, Laurence Fishburne and S. Epatha Merkerson.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 2, 2026
They owed to him their two or three politest puzzles; and the joy and exultation with which at last he recalled, and rather sentimentally recited, that well-known charade,
From "Emma" by Jane Austen
![]()
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.