notorious

[noh-tawr-ee-uhs, nuh-]

adjective

1. widely and unfavorably known.

   a notorious gambler.

   Synonyms: disreputable, flagrant, arrant, egregious, ill-famed, infamous

2. publicly or generally known, as for a particular trait.

   a newspaper that is notorious for its sensationalism.

   Synonyms: famous, conspicuous, prominent, celebrated, renowned, notable

notorious

/ nəʊˈtɔːrɪəs, ˌnəʊtəˈraɪɪtɪ /

adjective

1. well-known for some bad or unfavourable quality, deed, etc; infamous

2. rare,  generally known or widely acknowledged

Other Word Forms

• notoriety noun
• notoriously adverb
• notoriousness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of notorious¹

First recorded in 1540–50; from Medieval Latin nōtōrius “well known, public,” from Late Latin nōtōria “a notice, news, intelligence” and nōtōrium “indictment, (criminal) charge,” equivalent to nō(scere) “to get to know” + -tōrius adjective suffix; notify, -tory ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of notorious¹

C16: from Medieval Latin notōrius well-known, from nōtus known, from noscere to know

Example Sentences

Shared exclusively with the BBC, they show Bowie's fascination with the development of art and satire in 18th Century London, alongside stories of criminal gangs and the notorious thief "Honest" Jack Sheppard.

From BBC

Hollywood Reporter critic Sheri Linden noted how the "gripping drama delves into a notorious Gaza event with heart-wrenching urgency".

From BBC

Of course, the picture of a Nigerien nuclear power station that Tsivilev has painted poses huge questions - technical, economic and in relation to security in a region notorious for Islamist militancy.

From BBC

A political activist, Goonei was in solitary confinement in Iran's notorious Evin Prison when it was hit in a targeted attack by Israel on 23 June.

From BBC

He was mistakenly deported to a notorious prison in El Salvador in March, and then brought back to face criminal charges.

From BBC

Related Words

• blatant 
• flagrant 
• infamous 
• prominent 
• well-known 

When To Use

What does notorious mean?

Notorious most commonly means famous or well-known for a negative reason.The word is especially used to describe people who are widely known and viewed unfavorably for their actions, such as notorious criminals. It can also be applied to events, as in a notorious scandal. This sense of notorious is often used interchangeably with the word infamous. Strictly speaking, infamous means having, deserving, or resulting in a bad or evil reputation, while notorious usually implies that a person is both famous and disliked. Still, they usually mean just about the same thing.Notorious can also mean known for a particular trait or action, not necessarily a bad one. For example, you might be notorious for wearing the same outfit every Friday, or your aunt might be notorious for arriving late to family events.The state or quality of being notorious is notoriety.Example: The island prison known as Alcatraz was known for holding some of America’s most notorious criminals.