reputation

noun

rep·​u·​ta·​tion ˌre-pyə-ˈtā-shən 

1

a

: overall quality or character as seen or judged by people in general

b

: recognition by other people of some characteristic or ability

has the reputation of being clever

2

: a place in public esteem or regard : good name

trying to protect his reputation

reputational

ˌre-pyə-ˈtā-shnəl 

-shə-nᵊl

adjective

Did you know?

For reputation, the attainment of lexical esteem begins in 14th-century Middle English in the character of reputacion, which is a borrowing of an Anglo-French word with meanings similar to the English word (referring to such things as celebrity, distinction, good name, or estimation of character). The Anglo-French is from Latin reputation-, reputatio, meaning "consideration," and ultimately from reputare, "to reckon up or to think over." That Latinate verb couples the well-known "again" prefix re- with the verb putare ("to reckon"). Renowned celebrities of the putare family are the verb repute ("to believe or consider"), the identical noun (synonymous with reputation), the adjectives reputable and reputed, and the adverb reputedly. Other putare cousins of notoriety are dispute, disreputable, imputation, and putative, along with their kin.

Synonyms

• character
• fame
• mark
• name
• note
• odor
• rep [slang]
• report
• repute

Examples of reputation in a Sentence

He has earned a reputation as a first-class playwright.

a teacher with a reputation for patience

Poor customer service has ruined the company's reputation.

Recent Examples on the Web

But she’s also become a problematic celebrity, with her reputation never quite recovering after she was embroiled in a cyberbullying scandal in 2021. —Martha Ross, The Mercury News, 26 Apr. 2024

Despite all its famed cultural institutions, Tangier still does not have a reputation for destination dining or drinking establishments. —Chris Wallace, Travel + Leisure, 26 Apr. 2024

Schmidt entered the race for governor with a reputation as a conservative with a more-moderate streak. —Jonathan Shorman, Kansas City Star, 25 Apr. 2024

Geely was an upstart automaker from Hangzhou known for producing lower-quality knockoffs of Western cars while Volvo had a long-standing reputation for safety and sleek Scandinavian designs. —Reuters, NBC News, 25 Apr. 2024

The HondaJet, while carrying a high reputation, is not a high-volume aircraft. —Michael Verdon, Robb Report, 24 Apr. 2024

The bar was set quite low—and Boeing is slowing airplane production in hopes of restoring its reputation. —Will Daniel, Fortune, 24 Apr. 2024

Roadside has a reputation for bringing us unflinching movie experiences that center innovative and character-driven storytelling. —Brent Lang, Variety, 23 Apr. 2024

But as California housing values keep rising, some cities that until recently had reputations for working-class modesty are joining the list of communities with median home values more than $1 million. —Terry Castleman, Los Angeles Times, 15 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English reputacion, from Anglo-French, from Latin reputation-, reputatio consideration, from reputare

First Known Use

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

Phrases Containing reputation

• acquire a reputation
• live up to one's reputation

Kids Definition

reputation

noun

rep·​u·​ta·​tion ˌrep-yə-ˈtā-shən 

1

: overall quality or character as seen or judged by people in general

a car with a good reputation

2

: notice by other people of some quality or ability

has the reputation of being a good tennis player

3

: a place in public regard : good name

trying to protect his reputation

Legal Definition

reputation

noun

rep·​u·​ta·​tion

: overall quality or character as seen or judged by people in general within a community see also character evidence at evidence, reputation testimony at testimony