Fame

How to spell fame

4 letters · 1 syllable

How to pronounce fame

What does fame mean?

1. nounThe state of being widely known or celebrated, usually for an achievement.

Fame in a sentence

• The actor found fame after a single hit film.

• Her scientific work brought her lasting fame.

Where does fame come from?

Language of origin: Latin

Fame comes from the Latin fama, which meant a report, a rumour, or public talk, and by extension the reputation that such talk created. The Latin word traces back to the root of fari, meaning 'to speak', so at heart fame is simply 'what people say about you'. English picked it up in the early 1200s through Old French fame, where it carried the same double sense of renown and gossip. That older meaning survives in the phrase 'house of ill fame' and in the related word 'defame', which literally means to speak someone down. The same speaking root also gave us 'infant' (one who cannot yet speak) and 'fable', so the silent everyday spelling hides a long family of words about speech and reputation.

How the word is built

• fame (from Latin fama: report, rumour, reputation)