Jack Nicholson is notorious for always wearing sunglasses, a good example of the word being used without as many negative vibes implied. The subtle differences between infamy and notorietyīeyond being used to throw shade, like saying the Kardashians are notorious for drama, notorious can also mean “publicly or generally known, as for a particular trait.” What’s the verdict on whether it’s spelled judgement or judgment? Read about the history behind the two spellings for the word here. Head on over to our dictionary pages for notable and noteworthyfor some lexical judgment on them. Well, they are all close in meaning (due to that same Latin root), but there are subtle but significant differences among them. Which makes it easier to remember that identifying someone as notorious is like putting a notice out on them. When you say notorious and its noun form notoriety, it may be clear that they both start with not-, as in note, a word indeed related to notorious. Similar to infamous, notorious is an adjective meaning “widely and unfavorably known.” Evidenced in the late 15th century, notorious originally meant “well known,” true to its ultimate Latin root, notus, meaning “known.”
But, unless your family has its own time slot on Bravo, it won’t make you famous. Flipping a table at a family dinner may go down in infamy, winning you the reputation as the cousin with the temper. Remember, just because infamous has the word famous embedded within it doesn’t mean the two go hand in hand. People, places, or things can also go down in infamy, getting a super bad rep as the result of a “shameful, criminal or outrageous act.” See also: Fyre Festival. What does it mean to be infamous?įirst recorded in the 14th century, infamousis an adjective rooted in the Latin infamis, “of ill fame.” We use it to describe a person, place, or thing known for “having an extremely bad reputation.” It can also mean “deserving of or causing an evil reputation, detestable.” Think Cruella de Vil, Voldemort, and your 11th-grade algebra teacher. There are times when either will work, yet in other cases, one word is a better fit. While they can sometimes mean the same thing, there are subtle differences between the two terms. Infamous and notorious are commonly interchanged terms used to describe someone who or something that is famous for being negative in some way. If people break into whispers when a person enters a room or if mentioning a name makes people’s eyebrows waggle, chances are high that that person is either infamous or notorious for something. Some people, though, have a reputation that precedes them in less positive ways. Speaking of superpowers, before she passed away on September 18, 2020, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg used to do planks every day-you know, between issuing fierce dissenting opinions and keeping a night-owl’s work schedule.
For example, it’s widely known that Chris Evans is a real-life Captain America who holds doors open for people, and we all acknowledge that Beyoncé is a goddess among us mere mortals. Thanks to clicks, likes, and verified blue checkmarks, a person’s reputation can extend far beyond those who know them personally.