Notorious

Pronunciation

• enPR: nō-tôrʹē-É™s
• Rhymes: -ɔːɹiÉ™s

Origin

First attested 1548, from Medieval Latin nōtōrius ("widely or fully known"), from Latin nōtus ("known"), perfect passive participle of nōscō ("get to know"). Negative sense appeared in .

Full definition of notorious

Adjective

1. Widely known, especially for something bad; infamous.
• 1920, "This is the last straw. In your infatuation for this man — a man who is notorious for his excesses, a man your father would not have allowed to so much as mention your name — you have reflected the demi-monde rather than the circles in which you have presumably grown up." — The Offshore Pirate by
• 1999, "The Hempshocks' sheep were notoriously the finest for miles around: shaggy-coated and intelligent (for sheep), with curling horns and sharp hooves." — Neil Gaiman, Stardust, pg. 30 (2001 Perennial edition)

Synonyms

• ill-famed
• infamous

Related terms

• notoriety
• notoriousness