Infamy
Related: notorious - reputation - celebrity
Contrast: fame
Marquis de Sade (1740-1814) had an exceedingly bad reputation.
Definition
Celebrity and infamy
A celebrity is a person who is widely recognized in a society. Fame is one prerequisite for celebrity status, but not always sufficient. For example, as "infamy" has passed out of common English usage, high-profile criminals may be considered to be famous, but they are not always celebrities. Traditionally, politicians are rarely described as celebrities, but in the era of television, some have had to become de facto celebrities. Today's celebrities are largely figures from television and movies. --http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celebrity [Jul 2005]
see also: Marquis de Sade - celebrity - fame - bad - reputation
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