reputation

reputation — noun

1. the shared view that a community forms regarding a person or thing, built over t

1.nounB1
Definition

the shared view that a community forms regarding a person or thing, built over time through that person's or thing's actions and choices

Example

Dr. Eshe built a reputation as a careful and kind paediatrician at the city hospital.

build + reputation + as [role]

Ryo's family bakery earned a reputation for fresh bread that brought customers from nearby towns.

earn + reputation + for [quality]

Common collocations
  • build a reputation
  • earn a reputation
  • damage a reputation
  • ruin a reputation
  • have a reputation for
  • a reputation as
  • reputation among
  • good reputation
  • bad reputation
  • excellent reputation
  • solid reputation
Synonyms
  • standing

    focuses on social or professional position within a community; more about rank than general opinion

  • name

    informal, as in 'to make a name for yourself'; emphasises recognition and fame

  • repute

    formal synonym, mainly used in writing or set phrases like 'of international repute'

  • image

    focuses on deliberate public perception, which can differ from the true reputation

Antonyms
  • disrepute

    the state of having a bad reputation

  • infamy

    a reputation for extremely bad or evil deeds; much stronger than a bad reputation

Grammar Patterns

have + reputation + for/among/as

build/earn/develop + a reputation

damage/ruin/harm + someone's reputation

Usage Note

Often used with possessive forms (his reputation, the company's reputation) or an adjective of value (good, bad, excellent, poor, solid). The quality the reputation is based on can be introduced with for + noun/gerund (reputation for hard work) or as + noun phrase (reputation as a leader).

Common Mistakes

He is a reputation in the field.
He has a strong reputation in the field.
reputation is something you have or possess, not something you are.
This restaurant has reputation.
This restaurant has a reputation.
when reputation is singular and countable, you need the article a/an.

Word family

  • reputable
    adjectiveB2
  • reputed
    adjectiveC1
  • repute
    nounC1
  • reputedly
    adverbC2
  • disrepute
    nounC1
  • disreputable
    adjectiveC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Reputation is the broadest and most neutral term — it refers to the general opinion people hold, whether good or bad. Standing emphasises social or professional position within a specific community: a person may have a good reputation generally but low standing among peers. Name is more informal and often implies recognition: 'to make a name for yourself' means to become known. Image focuses on the deliberately cultivated public perception, which may or may not match the true reputation — an organisation can hire a firm to improve its image. Repute is a formal synonym for reputation, used mainly in writing ('a doctor of international repute'). While a reputation is built over time through actions, an image can be shaped more quickly through presentation. For example, 'The company's reputation for quality was built over decades, but a clever advertising campaign changed its public image within months.'

standing ↗name ↗image ↗repute ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • reputation management
  • reputation damage
  • reputation system

Adverbs

Phrases

  • a matter of reputation
  • by reputation

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Reputation comes from the Latin word reputatio, meaning 'consideration' or 'thinking over'. The Latin verb reputare combines re- ('again') with putare ('to reckon, to think'), so the original sense was 'to think over again, to count up'. By the 16th century, the meaning shifted from 'careful thought about something' to 'what people generally think about someone'. The modern sense of a person's public standing became dominant in the 1600s.