notorious
/nə(ʊ)ˈtɔːrɪəs
/adjective
Famous or well known, typically for some bad quality or deed: Los Angeles is notorious for its smog he was a notorious drinker and womanizer...
- The list is endless, but here are a few of the more notorious celebrations of recent times.
- In the process he became the most celebrated, or at least most notorious, journalist of his era.
- For Dylan is not only the most renowned protest singer of his era but also its most notorious renegade.
Synonyms
infamous, of ill repute, with a bad reputation/name, ill-famed, scandalous;
well known, famous, famed, celebrated, renowned, fabled, legendary, noted, talked about, prominent
Origin
Late 15th century (in the sense 'generally known'): from medieval Latin notorius (from Latin notus 'known') + -ous.
When it appeared in the late 15th century notorious first meant just ‘commonly or generally known, famous’, as, for example, in the 1588 quotation ‘Manie of you…are men verie notorious for their learning and preaching’. However, the negative meaning had already emerged by the time the Book of Common Prayer was published in 1549: ‘Suche persones as were notorious synners.’ The word comes from Latin notus ‘known’, which is also the root of the English words note (Middle English), notice (Late Middle English), notify (Late Middle English), and notion (Late Middle English).