famous

adjective

fa·​mous ˈfā-məs How to pronounce famous (audio)
1
a
: widely known
a restaurant famous for its French cuisine
b
: honored for achievement
a famous explorer
2
: excellent, first-rate
famous weather for a walk
famousness noun
Choose the Right Synonym for famous

famous, renowned, celebrated, noted, notorious, distinguished, eminent, illustrious mean known far and wide.

famous implies little more than the fact of being, sometimes briefly, widely and popularly known.

a famous actress

renowned implies more glory and acclamation.

one of the most renowned figures in sports history

celebrated implies notice and attention especially in print.

the most celebrated beauty of her day

noted suggests well-deserved public attention.

the noted mystery writer

notorious frequently adds to famous an implication of questionableness or evil.

a notorious gangster

distinguished implies acknowledged excellence or superiority.

a distinguished scientist who won the Nobel Prize

eminent implies even greater prominence for outstanding quality or character.

the country's most eminent writers

illustrious stresses enduring honor and glory attached to a deed or person.

illustrious war heroes

Examples of famous in a Sentence

a book about some of the most famous people of the last century the review gushed that the restaurant offered some truly famous Southern-style cooking
Recent Examples on the Web Some women were locally famous, others had been forgotten. Jeff Suess, The Enquirer, 10 Mar. 2024 The film will be produced by Chris Meledandri, founder and CEO of Illumination, and Shigeru Miyamoto, representative director and fellow of Nintendo and one of the most famous figures in gaming. Brent Lang, Variety, 10 Mar. 2024 Hoda Kotb says her two daughters have no idea just how famous their mother is. Brendan Le, Peoplemag, 9 Mar. 2024 Ambleside, England The sweet town of Ambleside is a gateway to England's famous Lake District (a World Heritage site). Anne Olivia Bauso, Travel + Leisure, 9 Mar. 2024 Luckily, soon everyone can, thanks to a new Hollywood Sign fragrance being launched March 8 to commemorate the centennial anniversary of the town’s most famous monument. Benjamin Svetkey, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Mar. 2024 Other acclaimed manga artists expressed their shock and condolences that perhaps their industry’s most famous artist had passed away. Nicholas Gordon, Fortune Asia, 8 Mar. 2024 With its towering dome, St. Paul’s Cathedral is one of the most famous structures in all of London. Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 Mar. 2024 Travel company Klook tracked a 50 percent increase in bookings for its Singapore Pass, which offers access to the city’s most famous attractions. Regine Cabato, Washington Post, 8 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'famous.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin famosus, from fama fame

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of famous was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near famous

Cite this Entry

“Famous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/famous. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

famous

adjective
fa·​mous ˈfā-məs How to pronounce famous (audio)
1
: much talked about : very well-known
famous explorer
2
: excellent
famous weather for a picnic

More from Merriam-Webster on famous

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