notorious

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 seventeenth century.

• enPR: nō-tôrʹē-əs

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• Rhymes: -ɔːɹiəs

notorious (comparative more notorious, superlative most notorious)

1. Widely known, especially for something negative; infamous.
   • 1920, F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Offshore Pirate:

     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.

   • 1999, Neil Gaiman, Stardust, 2001 Perennial edition, page 30:

     The Hempshocks' sheep were notoriously the finest for miles around: shaggy-coated and intelligent (for sheep), with curling horns and sharp hooves.

• ill-famed
• infamous

• famous

• notoriety

• notoriously
• notoriousness
• unnotorious