English Reference
adjective

renowned

adj.
US /ɹɪˈnaʊnd/ UK /ɹɪnˈaʊnd/ renowned

  1. 01 B2 Upper Intermediate

    famous and admired by many people for being very good at something.

    widely celebrated or distinguished; highly regarded for a specific achievement or quality.

    Simple

    The city is renowned for its beautiful parks and historic buildings.

    In context

    The university is globally renowned for its research in renewable energy, attracting top scholars from every continent.

    Usage

    Often followed by the preposition 'for' to specify the reason for the fame.

    Teacher's tip

    While 'famous' can be neutral or even negative, 'renowned' almost always implies high quality and respect.

    Pitfall
    He is a renowned for his cooking. He is renowned for his cooking.

    Do not use 'a' before 'renowned' unless it is followed by a noun (e.g., 'He is a renowned chef').

Tyler became renowned globally for her pop music hits, including Total Eclipse of the Heart and I Need a Hero.

The Guardian· 15 Aug 2026

The findings have now been published in the renowned journal Cell Reports .

ScienceDaily· 14 Aug 2026
This entry
Level C1 · Advanced
Frequency Frequent
Updated