well-known
Americanadjective
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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.
Across town, Independent 20th Century, now being staged in the Breuer Building, highlights overlooked artists from the past century as well as less-studied aspects of well-known creators’ careers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 20, 2026
Last year, Disney sent a cease-and-desist letter to Character.AI, alleging copyright infringement of its well-known characters, including Elsa, Moana, Peter Parker and Darth Vader.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 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
In the country’s earliest years, the North End was home to the city’s colonial governor, Thomas Hutchinson, and to a well-known silversmith named Paul Revere, destined to become famous for a different reason.
From "1919 The Year That Changed America" by Martin W. Sandler
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.
