well-known
Americanadjective
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clearly or fully known.
The well-known reasons are obvious.
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generally or widely known.
a well-known painting.
- Synonyms:
- celebrated, noted, famous, prominent
adjective
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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.
After the statement, a well-known photo of Donald Trump, Melania, Epstein, and Maxwell together at an event in the year 2000, standing close and looking awfully cozy, began to circulate online once again.
From Slate • Apr. 10, 2026
The Roomba wasn’t the first robotic vacuum but became the most well-known, and Greiner is credited with helping to popularize the use of robots as domestic helpers that can reduce household labor.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026
I wanted a picture that was sharp on his well-known headcover of a tiger but for him to be abstract to it, as opposed to standing next to it.
From BBC • Apr. 8, 2026
A well-known 300-million-year-old fossil once believed to be the oldest octopus ever discovered has been reclassified after new analysis revealed it is something entirely different.
From Science Daily • Apr. 7, 2026
The announcer adds that the station will soon carry an interview with the well-known astronomer Professor Richard Pierson.
From "Spooked!" by Gail Jarrow
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.
