well-known

adjective

ˈwel-ˈnōn How to pronounce well-known (audio)
Definition of well-knownnext
as in famous
widely known an anchorwoman so well-known that she passes for a local celebrity

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of well-known The interaction was unusual even with a federal administration with a well-known, escalated immigration enforcement agenda. — Mathew Miranda, Sacbee.com, 25 Aug. 2026 Jamie Dimon is well-known for his historic career as CEO of JPMorgan Chase, the world’s largest bank, and for his hot takes on the economy, work culture, and geopolitics. — Sydney Lake, Fortune, 25 Aug. 2026 However, the source of Peyton’s painting has been well-known for years, as PetaPixel reported. — Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 25 Aug. 2026 Granger’s trailblazing life is well-known, but her son JD Granger, speaking on behalf of his siblings Brandon Granger and Chelsea Hughes, paid tribute to his mother with accounts of her everyday life. — Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for well-known
Recent Examples of Synonyms for well-known
  1. famous
  2. famed
  3. prominent
  4. celebrated
  5. renowned
  6. notorious
Adjective
  • Travis This name is perfect for fans of the Super Bowl-winning tight end of the Kansas City Chiefs, Travis Kelce (or his famous girlfriend, Taylor Swift).
    — Beth Ann Mayer, Parents, 1 Sep. 2026
  • New York’s famous once clamored for co-ops, where tenants are shareholders with equity rather than individual owners of their apartments outright.
    — Bridget Read, Curbed, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of famous
Adjective
  • Opened on New Year’s Day in 1926, the hotel was expanded by famed society architect Maurice Fatio, who managed to maintain intimacy despite imposing a larger footprint.
    — Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, 4 Sep. 2026
  • The photo, taken at the famed Plaza Hotel in Manhattan, showed Kelce reclining on a sofa wearing a peacoat, while Wendy reclined wearing her, well, natural coat.
    — David Mack, CNN Money, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of famed
Adjective
  • Several prominent fan groups have criticised the club’s summer transfer business and requested meetings with the Everton hierarchy.
    — Patrick Boyland, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Broadly speaking, many prominent Silicon Valley companies started in a place of technological service and innovation only to have more recently shifted into the dystopia business, and public sentiment has shifted in kind.
    — Scott Tobias, Vulture, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of prominent
Adjective
  • As the world waits for new music from the superstar, who has not delivered an album in a decade, one of the singer’s most celebrated pieces of work reaches a special milestone.
    — Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Bardem plays Miguel, a celebrated architect tempted by a morally dubious but hugely lucrative commission to build a secret survivalist bunker for a reclusive tech billionaire, Andrew (Paul Dano).
    — Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of celebrated
Adjective
  • Greenspan was renowned for his formidable data-crunching capabilities, sharp reading of market psychology, and subtle, often elusive communication style.
    — , CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The collection, which translated her mental health battles into a universal visual language, became her largest and most renowned body of work.
    — Livia Caligor, Architectural Digest, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of renowned
Adjective
  • Age verifications and parental controls come with notorious loopholes.
    — Jonathan Vanian, CNBC, 30 Aug. 2026
  • The tariffs are notorious among economists and historians for shutting down world commerce and making the Great Depression worse.
    — Paul Wiseman, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of notorious

Browse Nearby Words

welling (up)
well-known
well-meaning
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Cite this Entry

“Well-known.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/well-known. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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