well-known

adjective

ˈwel-ˈnōn How to pronounce well-known (audio)
Synonyms of well-knownnext
: fully or widely known

Synonyms of well-known

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of well-known in a Sentence

an anchorwoman so well-known that she passes for a local celebrity
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
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

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of well-known was in the 15th century

Rhymes for well-known

See All Rhymes for well-known

Browse Nearby Words

well-knit
well-known
well-liked
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Well-known.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/well-known. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

well-known

adjective
ˈwel-ˈnōn
: known by many people
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All