adjective
Common
renowned
rih-NOWND
Renowned (adjective) means Famous and widely admired for some skill or quality. Example: “The village is renowned for its cheese and its friendly market.”
adjective
1
Famous and widely admired for some skill or quality.
"The village is renowned for its cheese and its friendly market."
"The chef is renowned for her inventive use of local ingredients."
"It is a renowned university with a long list of famous graduates."
How to use renowned
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishWell-known in a positive way — famous for being good at something.
Common mistake
Renowned is almost always followed by "for" plus the reason someone is famous, e.g. "renowned for his kindness."
Easily confused with
Common pairings
renowned for
world-renowned
a renowned expert
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Word forms
- Comparative
- more renowned
- Superlative
- most renowned
Fill the gap
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The village is _____ for its cheese and its friendly market.
Synonyms
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Related words
Rhymes for renowned
See all rhymes for renowned →Frequently asked questions
What does “renowned” mean?
The word “renowned” means famous and widely admired for some skill or quality. In plain terms, well-known in a positive way — famous for being good at something.
How do you pronounce “renowned”?
“Renowned” is pronounced rih-NOWND (/ɹɪˈnaʊnd/ in IPA).
How do you use “renowned” in a sentence?
Here is “renowned” used in a sentence: “The chef is renowned for her inventive use of local ingredients.”
What part of speech is “renowned”?
“Renowned” is an adjective.
Is “renowned” a common word?
“Renowned” is a fairly common word in modern English.
What is the difference between renowned and famous?
Both mean widely known, but 'renowned' specifically carries admiration and respect for a skill or quality. 'Famous' is more neutral and can apply to something known for negative reasons, such as a famous scandal, whereas 'renowned' is almost always positive.
What is the difference between renowned and notorious?
Renowned means famous in a positive, admired way, as in a renowned surgeon. Notorious means famous for something bad or disreputable, so the two words carry opposite tones despite both meaning 'well known.'
What preposition goes with renowned?
'Renowned' is usually followed by 'for' when naming the reason, as in 'renowned for its architecture.' It takes 'as' when naming a role, as in 'renowned as a healer.'
Is 'world-renowned' one word or hyphenated?
'World-renowned' is normally hyphenated when it comes before the noun it describes, as in 'a world-renowned surgeon.' It means famous and admired across the world rather than only locally.
