Make Your Point > Archived Issues > RENOWN
Send Make Your Point issues straight to your inbox.
pronounce
RENOWN:
Say it "ruh NOUN."
To hear it, click here.
connect this word to others:
Since 2013, I laugh every time I see the word renown, thanks to this article. It's titled "Don't make fun of renowned Dan Brown," and it makes very good fun of renowned Dan Brown:
"Hello agent John, it's client Dan," commented the pecunious scribbler. "I'm worried about new book Inferno. I think critics are going to say it's badly written." ...
"Who cares what the stupid critics say?" advised the literary agent. "They’re just snobs. You have millions of fans."
That’s true, mused the accomplished composer of thrillers that combined religion, high culture and conspiracy theories. His books were read by everyone from renowned politician President Obama to renowned musician Britney Spears. It was said that a copy of The Da Vinci Code had even found its way into the hands of renowned monarch the Queen. He was grateful for his good fortune, and gave thanks every night in his prayers to renowned deity God.
By now, in case you weren't sure before, it's painfully clear that to be renowned is to be famous--or, more literally, to have your name often repeated by others.
At the heart of the word renown, then, is the Latin nomen, "a name."
Nomen forms the heart of so many other English words. See if you can recall a few:
1. A m__nomer is an inaccurate name: a name, label, or title that sends the wrong message.
2. To be i_nomin___s is to have a bad name: to be shamed, disgraced, or dishonored.
3. A nom de g____e is a war name: a fake name used in a war or a competition.
(To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)
definition:
We took the word "renown" from a French one that traces back to the Latin renomer, meaning "reputation," or more literally, "often named: repeatedly named." The idea is that if people are constantly saying your name, you're famous.
Someone or something with renown has fame and a good reputation. In other words, if you have renown, then a lot of people talk about you very often, in a positive and respectful way.
"Renown" is also a verb. To renown people is to talk about them often, basically making them famous. We hardly ever use that verb, but we do often turn it into an adjective: "renowned," meaning "famous, having a good reputation, talked about often."
grammatical bits:
Part of speech:
Most often a noun, the uncountable kind: "They earned renown;" "She's an author of global renown."
Other common forms:
Just the adjective, "renowned."
how to use it:
Pick the common, formal word "renown" when you need a synonym of "fame" that carries a positive tone and implies a lot of talk or interest among the public.
Talk about someone's renown, or about the renown of some company, restaurant, invention, film, book, etc. Or, point out that someone or something has renown, or is a person or thing of renown, sometimes as something: "He has renown as a heart surgeon;" "She's a writer of renown."
You can also talk about these people or things gaining, winning, earning, or losing renown. "Nate Silver lost some of his renown as an election forecaster when he was way off base in the 2016 election."
And, you can talk about renown that spreads, increases, or decreases. "The bard Jaskier helps spread Geralt's renown as a witcher."
examples:
"Shall I always be left behind when the Riders depart, to mind the house while they win renown, and find food and beds when they return?"
— J. R. R. Tolkien, The Return of the King, 1955
"Don't get me wrong, you're a young man of great renown.
I know you stole British cannons when we were still downtown."
— Lin-Manuel Miranda, "Right Hand Man," Hamilton: An American Musical, 2015
has this page helped you understand "renown"?
study it:
Explain the meaning of "renown" without saying "fame" or "repute."
try it out:
Fill in the blanks: "(Someone) had apparently (overestimated or underestimated) their own renown; (tell what happened)."
Example 1: "The Beatles had apparently underestimated their own renown in the US; they didn't expect to meet 3,000 screaming fans when they landed in New York."
Example 2: "An 'influencer' apparently overestimated her own renown; after asking a hotel for a free stay in exchange for 'exposure,' she was, to put it mildly, taken down a peg or two by the hotel's owner."
before you review, play:
Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.
Our game for September is Solve the Square!
It's inspired by Squareword, which is like Wordle but in 3D. In each issue this month, find the 5-letter word that completes the square, creating words both horizontally and vertically. For a bonus point, define the word you've supplied. For the answers, scroll all the way down. Enjoy!
Try this one today:
S
T
R
_
P
A
R
E
_
A
L
A
N
_
S
A
D
A
_
T
D
E
L
_
A
review this word:
A. SYNONYMITY: the state of meaning the same thing.
B. ANONYMITY: the state of being unknown or unidentified.
C. PSEUDONYMITY: the state of being known by a false name.
2.
In the musical Chicago, Roxie daydreams of renown, singing "_____"
A. How can they hear the truth above the roar?
B. The name on everybody's lips is gonna be 'Roxie.'
C. You know, some guys just can't hold their arsenic!
a final word:
I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love. I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.
From my blog:
On vocabulary...
36 ways to study words.
Why we forget words, & how to remember them.
How to use sophisticated words without being awkward.
On writing...
How to improve any sentence.
How to motivate our kids to write.
How to stop procrastinating and start writing.
How to bulk up your writing when you have to meet a word count.
From my heart: a profound thanks to the generous patrons, donors, and sponsors that make it possible for me to write these emails. If you'd like to be a patron or a donor, please click here. If you'd like to be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.
A disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.
Since 2013, I laugh every time I see the word renown, thanks to this article. It's titled "Don't make fun of renowned Dan Brown," and it makes very good fun of renowned Dan Brown:
We took the word "renown" from a French one that traces back to the Latin renomer, meaning "reputation," or more literally, "often named: repeatedly named." The idea is that if people are constantly saying your name, you're famous.
Part of speech:
Pick the common, formal word "renown" when you need a synonym of "fame" that carries a positive tone and implies a lot of talk or interest among the public.
"Shall I always be left behind when the Riders depart, to mind the house while they win renown, and find food and beds when they return?"
Explain the meaning of "renown" without saying "fame" or "repute."
Fill in the blanks: "(Someone) had apparently (overestimated or underestimated) their own renown; (tell what happened)."
Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.
I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love. I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words. |