noun

reputation

rep-yuh-TAY-shun/ˌrepjuˈteɪʃn/

The general opinion people have of someone or something.

The neighbors' recommendations reveal the bicycle repairer's good reputation.

Several satisfied neighbors warmly recommend a skilled local bicycle repairer to a newcomer, pointing toward his careful work and nodding approvingly; collective opinion visible, no text.

Etymology

reLatinperhaps repeatedly

+putLatinjudge, think

+ationLatinact or process

Judging or thinking something over, with re- perhaps suggesting repetition, underlies the original sense of consideration or reckoning. This became the estimation in which others hold someone, whether favorable or unfavorable.

In context

Gentleman's Gazette10:23

If you're a person who's chronically late, you'll develop a reputation as someone who doesn't take their job responsibilities seriously.

Office Etiquette 101 DOs and DON'Ts

More examples

The scandal damages the company's reputation.
She earns a reputation as a fair manager.
Both schools have strong reputations for academic excellence.

Forms

reputation · reputations

reputable adjective — Widely regarded as honest and reliable.

Similar words

standing: Emphasizes someone's rank or respect within a particular group.
image: Emphasizes how someone or something appears to the public.