notorious

C1 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /nəˈtɔ.ɹi.əs/ UK /nə(ʊ)ˈtɔː.ɹɪ.əs/ See IPA manual

Freq #8775

Meanings

1

adj
Famous for something bad.

He was a notorious gangster feared across the city.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · famous for something bad. infamousill-famed

More disreputable nefarious nidderingnideringnithing

Opposites

acclaimedcelebrated distinguished eminent prestigious prominentunfamousunnotorious

Word family

Derived forms notorifynotoriously notoriousnessunnotorious

Related forms notorietynotorilynotory

Appears in

Phrases (2)

See all

Simplified etymology

Notorious comes from Latin notus “known,” also the root of note, notice, notify, and notion. When notorious appeared in English in the late 15th century, it meant “commonly or generally known, famous.” Its negative meaning had emerged by 1549.

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 (…

*ǵneh₃- Proto-Indo-European notoryous Middle English nōtōrius la-med nōtus Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# notorious

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C1
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /nəˈtɔ.ɹi.əs/
**IPA (UK):** /nə(ʊ)ˈtɔː.ɹɪ.əs/
**Frequency rank:** 8775

## Meanings
1. Famous for something bad.

## Examples
- He was a notorious gangster feared across the city.

## Synonyms
- disreputable
- ill-famed
- infamous
- nefarious
- niddering
- nidering
- nithing

## Antonyms
- acclaimed
- celebrated
- distinguished
- eminent
- prestigious
- prominent
- unfamous
- unnotorious

## Derived Forms
- notorify
- notoriously
- notoriousness
- unnotorious

## Related Forms
- notoriety
- notorily
- notory

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *ǵneh₃-
- Root: notoryous
- Root: nōtōrius
- Root: nōtus

## 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 (…

## AI Etymology
Notorious comes 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”). Modern senses include famous for something bad. The wider word family includes derivatives such as notorify, notoriously, notoriousness, and unnotorious and related forms such as notoriety, notorily, and notory.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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