Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun The general opinion or judgment of the public about a person or thing.
  • noun The state or situation of being held in high esteem.
  • noun A widespread ascription of a characteristic or trait to a person or thing.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun Account; estimation; consideration; especially, the estimate attached to a person by the community; character by report; opinion of character generally entertained; character attributed to a person, action, or thing; repute, in a good or bad sense. See character.
  • noun Favorable regard; the credit, honor, or character which is derived from a favorable public opinion or esteem; good name; fame.
  • noun Synonyms Esteem, estimation, name, fame, renown, distinction.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun The estimation in which one is held; character in public opinion; the character attributed to a person, thing, or action; repute.
  • noun (Law) The character imputed to a person in the community in which he lives. It is admissible in evidence when he puts his character in issue, or when such reputation is otherwise part of the issue of a case.
  • noun Specifically: Good reputation; favorable regard; public esteem; general credit; good name.
  • noun obsolete Account; value.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun What somebody is known for.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun notoriety for some particular characteristic
  • noun the general estimation that the public has for a person
  • noun the state of being held in high esteem and honor

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English reputacioun, from Latin reputātiō, reputātiōn-, a reckoning, from reputātus, past participle of reputāre, to reckon, think over; see repute.]

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Examples

  • The idea of a “good name,” as in reputation, is not attached to the name itself but to the person who bears the name.

    A Rose by Any Other Name Would Smell as Sweet « So Many Books 2004

  • It's got a reputation is being a genre for meatheads, but a lot of bands are unabashed geeks.

    Author-friends, Meet Helen Walden 2010

  • It's got a reputation is being a genre for meatheads, but a lot of bands are unabashed geeks.

    Archive 2010-03-01 2010

  • Former secret agent David Shayler says that the collapse of his reputation is an inside job and that footage of him claiming to be the Messiah and the reincarnation of Leonardo da Vinci and King Arthur is MI5 propaganda.

    9/11 Truth Campaigner: Collapse was a controlled demolition 2007

  • Former secret agent David Shayler says that the collapse of his reputation is an inside job and that footage of him claiming to be the Messiah and the reincarnation of Leonardo da Vinci and King Arthur is MI5 propaganda.

    Archive 2007-08-01 2007

  • Apparently for you and your readers (I assume you have readers) the trashing of my reputation is a form of sport, a diversion, a chuckle.

    ON THE BUBBLE WITH DYLAN SCHAFFER 2006

  • We have long been aware that our reputation is affected by our day-to-day dealings and negotiations with all of our constituents, be they audiences, advertisers, the regulator, cable and satellite affiliates, producers and distributors of programming, as well as employees.

    Creating Value in a Competitive Media Industry 2004

  • "It pays, literally and figuratively, to quit in the right way, because your reputation is at stake, if nothing else," says Priscilla Claman, president of Career Strategies, a Boston consulting firm.

    USATODAY.com - Quitting is one of your most important performances 2002

  • You've also written about his toupee and you've written about what you call his reputation for goatish pursuit of young women was an open secret.

    CNN Transcript Sep 21, 2002 2002

  • To the laymen, his reputation is already established as a distinguished author and lecturer on the history of medicine.

    The Prolongation of Life 1937

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