notorious

[noh-tawr-ee-uh s, -tohr-, nuh-] /noʊˈtɔr i əs, -ˈtoʊr-, nə-/
adjective
1.
widely and unfavorably known:
a notorious gambler.
Synonyms: infamous, egregious, outrageous, arrant, flagrant, disreputable.
2.
publicly or generally known, as for a particular trait:
a newspaper that is notorious for its sensationalism.
Synonyms: notable, renowned, celebrated, prominent, conspicuous, famous, widely known.
Origin
1540-50; < Medieval Latin nōtōrius evident, equivalent to nō(scere) to get to know (see notify) + -tōrius -tory1
Related forms
notoriously, adverb
notoriousness, noun
Can be confused
famous, infamous, notorious.
Examples from the web for notorious
  • They are perhaps the world's most notorious wild lions.
  • That was a most notorious gambling hall eighty years ago.
  • He didn't lose a single game in his five matches here and kept his notorious temper in check.
  • It so happens that pilots are notoriously leery of simulators.
  • My generation is notorious for its "cop-outs.
  • Those who bemoan the current system point to notorious busts.
  • Spiders are notorious hunters, luring prey into their sticky webs or ambushing them from behind a leaf.
  • On open ended simulations, the results are sensitive to a limited number of inputs and notorious for their inaccuracy.
  • The barbed diminutives of civil servants are notorious.
  • The bestselling writer is notorious for blurring the boundary between fact and fiction, and his latest book is no exception.
British Dictionary definitions for notorious

notorious

/nəʊˈtɔːrɪəs/
adjective
1.
well-known for some bad or unfavourable quality, deed, etc; infamous
2.
(rare) generally known or widely acknowledged
Derived Forms
notoriety (ˌnəʊtəˈraɪɪtɪ), notoriousness, noun
notoriously, adverb
Word Origin
C16: from Medieval Latin notōrius well-known, from nōtus known, from noscere to know
Word Origin and History for notorious
adj.

1540s, "publicly known," from Medieval Latin notorius "well-known, commonly known," from Latin notus "known," past participle of noscere "come to know" (see know). Negative connotation arose 17c. from frequent association with derogatory nouns. Related: Notoriously.