notorious
Meanings
- Senses with an unfavourable connotation.
- Of a person or entity: generally or widely known for something negative; infamous.
- Of an act, situation, etc.: blameworthy in an obvious and offensive way; blatant, flagrant.
- Senses with a favourable or neutral connotation.
- Generally or widely known; of common knowledge; famous or well-known.
- Clear, evident, obvious.
- Generally or widely knowable.
- Synonym of notoriously.
Pronunciation
Word forms
Etymology
From Late Middle English notoryous, from Medieval Latin nōtōrius (“evident, known; famous, well-known; infamous”), from Latin nōtus (“known, recognized; familiar, widely known; famous, well-known; infamous”) + -tōrius (suffix forming adjectives). Nōtus is the perfect passive participle of nōscō (“to become acquainted with or learn about (something); (rare) to be familiar with, recognize”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ǵneh₃- (“to know; to recognize”). cognates * Catalan notori (“well-known”) * Middle French notoire (Anglo-Norman notoire, notoir, notore, notorie, modern French notoire (“notorious; well-known”)) * Italian notorio (“notorious; well-known”) * Portuguese notorjo (obsolete), notório (“illustrious; open, public; notorious”) * Spanish notorio (“apparent, clear, obvious; well-known”)