renown

1 of 2

noun

re·​nown ri-ˈnau̇n How to pronounce renown (audio)
1
: a state of being widely acclaimed and highly honored : fame
2
obsolete : report, rumor

renown

2 of 2

verb

renowned; renowning; renowns

transitive verb

: to give renown to

Examples of renown in a Sentence

Noun He achieved great renown for his discoveries. Her photographs have earned her international renown.
Recent Examples on the Web
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Noun
He is flanked by two bodybuilders, only one of whom, a man of lesser renown, assists the grimacing leader of the free world, who is looking ever the country-club veteran in a polo and a pastel windbreaker. Lauren Michele Jackson, New Yorker, 10 May 2025 Image Though fame has so far eluded Kehlmann in the U.S., he’s achieved the kind of renown in Germany that is rare for writers. David Segal, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2025 After living through that hell, the young Sammie shirks his father's wishes and becomes a blues player of great renown. Nick Romano, EW.com, 18 Apr. 2025 The Palmyra owed part of its renown to the Baalbeck International Festival, an annual series of music, theater, dance, and opera performances that was held among the ruins from 1956 until the outbreak of the Lebanese Civil War in 1975. Youmna Melhem Chamieh, Harper's Magazine, 2 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for renown

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English renoun, from Anglo-French renum, renoun, from renomer to report, speak of, from re- + nomer to name, from Latin nominare, from nomin-, nomen name — more at name

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined above

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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Renown.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/renown. Accessed 19 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

renown

noun
re·​nown
ri-ˈnau̇n
: a state of being widely known and highly honored : fame

More from Merriam-Webster on renown

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