n. 1. The general opinion or judgment of the public about a person or thing: a senator with a tarnished reputation; a restaurant with a good reputation. 2. The state or situation of being held in high esteem: feared damage to his reputation. 3. A widespread ascription of a characteristic or trait to a person or thing: a sales clerk who has a reputation for courtesy; a columnist with the reputation of being acerbic. [Middle English reputacioun, from Latin reputātiō, reputātiōn-, a reckoning, from reputātus, past participle of reputāre, to reckon, think over; see REPUTE.] |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.