Definition Repute Explained: Reputed Meaning Guide

If you have ever looked up the phrase definition repute, you were probably trying to untangle a small family of related words: repute, reputed, reputable, and reputation. They all spring from the same root, yet they are not interchangeable, and using the wrong one can quietly change the meaning of a sentence. In plain terms, the definition repute centres on the opinion that people generally hold about someone or something. It is about standing in the eyes of others, rather than about a quality that can be measured in a laboratory or proved with a single document. This guide explains the definition repute in full, shows how reputed differs from reputable, explores the word in history and in everyday writing, and gives you practical examples so you can use it with confidence. Every section below returns to the definition repute so the meaning stays clear.

Definition Repute in Plain English

The simplest way to state the definition repute is this: repute is the general opinion held about a person, a business, a place, or a thing. When we say that a hotel is held in high repute, we mean that most people who know of it think well of it. When we say that a trader is of bad repute, we mean that the prevailing opinion about that trader is unfavourable. The word itself can function as a noun, as in “a person of good repute”, and it also appears in older verb forms, as in “he was reputed to be wealthy”, meaning that people generally believed him to be wealthy, whether or not the belief was ever proved.

Notice what the definition repute does not promise. It does not promise that the opinion is correct. A person may be reputed to be generous and yet, in private, be nothing of the sort. A restaurant may enjoy a fine repute for years on the strength of a handful of enthusiastic reviews, long after its standards have slipped. Repute is therefore a social fact rather than a physical one: it describes what is thought and said, not necessarily what is true. That distinction matters enormously in writing, because it lets you report an opinion without endorsing it. That reporting function is central to the definition repute. A journalist who writes that a company is “reputed to be the largest in its field” is passing on a common claim, not certifying it as fact.

In modern English, the noun repute is somewhat formal and a little old-fashioned, which is why you are more likely to meet its relatives in everyday prose. “Reputed” and “reputation” do most of the heavy lifting today, while “repute” itself survives in set phrases such as “of good repute”, “of ill repute”, and “held in high repute”. Those phrases are worth learning, because they carry a precise, slightly legal or official flavour. They are the most formal applications of the definition repute. A character reference, for example, may describe someone as “a person of good repute in the community”, and the phrase signals respectability in a way that the simpler word “nice” never could.

Definition Repute: The Whole Word Family

To use the definition repute properly, it helps to see the whole family together. The table that follows is the quickest reference for the definition repute and its relatives. The table below sets out the main members, their usual part of speech, and what each one actually claims.

Word	Part of speech	What it means	Example
Repute	Noun (also an older verb)	The general opinion held about someone or something	A clinic of excellent repute
Reputed	Adjective	Generally believed or said to be something, without proof	The reputed inventor of the device
Reputable	Adjective	Having a good reputation; worthy of trust	A reputable dealer with clear terms
Reputation	Noun	The beliefs or opinions generally held about someone or something	Her reputation for fairness grew over time
Disrepute	Noun	A state of being held in low esteem	The scheme fell into disrepute

The crucial contrast is between “reputed” and “reputable”. Something reputed is merely said to be a certain way; something reputable has earned trust. A “reputed expert” might turn out to know very little, because the word reports only what people say. A “reputable expert”, by contrast, is presented as genuinely trustworthy, with a track record to support the claim. Confusing the two is one of the commonest errors with this word family, and it can be a costly one in business or legal writing, where the difference between a rumour and a recommendation matters.

“Reputation” is the most flexible member of the family, and the one you will use most often. It can be good or bad, growing or damaged, local or worldwide. We speak of a school’s reputation, a brand’s reputation, and a person’s professional reputation, and in each case we mean the accumulated opinion formed over time through actions, reports, and word of mouth. Unlike a single review or a single incident, a reputation is built slowly and, as the old saying goes, can be lost quickly. That is why organisations invest so much effort in protecting theirs.

The Origin of Repute

The definition repute becomes clearer when you know where the word came from. Repute entered English from Latin, through the verb reputare, which meant to count over, to reckon, or to think over. The prefix re- suggests doing something again, and putare meant to think or to reckon, a root that also gives us “compute”, “dispute”, and “impute”. So, at its root, repute is about reckoning: the way people reckon or account for someone when they add up what they have heard and seen.

That history explains the word’s slightly formal character. For centuries, repute belonged to the language of law, commerce, and public life, where a person’s standing had practical consequences. A merchant of good repute could obtain credit; a witness of bad repute might not be believed. In that world, repute was not idle gossip but a kind of social currency, and the language around it kept a formal edge that it has never entirely lost. When you use “of good repute” today, you are borrowing a little of that old seriousness, which is why the phrase suits references, applications, and official descriptions better than casual chat.

The related word “disrepute” shows the same history in reverse. To fall into disrepute is to lose that good reckoning, to be counted unfavourably by the community. The word is still used for practices, institutions, and ideas that have lost public confidence, from discredited theories to financial schemes that collapsed under scrutiny. Understanding this shared root helps you remember that all these words are about judgement: how a person or thing is reckoned by others.

Definition Repute in Everyday Sentences

Seeing the definition repute in action is the fastest way to master it. Consider these examples, each chosen to show a different shade of meaning. “The village pub, long held in high repute for its Sunday roasts, had queues out of the door on winter weekends.” Here, repute is a noun describing a well-earned local standing, built over years rather than bought with advertising. “He was reputed to be the finest violin teacher in the county, although few pupils had ever heard him play in public.” Here, “reputed” carefully reports a belief without confirming it, leaving room for doubt.

A business example makes the distinction sharper still. “Choose a reputable supplier, not merely a reputed one.” The sentence advises the reader to look beyond what is said and to check for evidence: clear terms, a traceable history, and customers willing to recommend the firm. In the same way, a jobseeker might be described as “a candidate of good repute”, meaning that referees and former colleagues speak well of them, while a charity might be praised as “reputable” because its accounts are open and its work is independently verified.

Writers also use repute for places and things, not only people. A university may be “of international repute” for research in a particular subject, meaning that scholars around the world regard it highly. A particular vintage of wine may enjoy a fine repute among collectors, even if most drinkers have never tasted it. In each case, the word points outward, to the opinion of a community, rather than inward, to a single measurable property. That outward direction is the heart of the definition repute. Hold on to that outward direction and the definition repute will rarely mislead you.

Common phrases using repute

Several set phrases are worth memorising. “Of good repute” and “of ill repute” are the classic pair, still found in legal and formal writing. “Held in high repute” and “held in low repute” describe the level of esteem. “A house of ill repute” is an older, euphemistic phrase for a brothel, and it survives mainly in historical writing; use it with care, and only when the historical flavour is intended. “Reputed to be” is the most useful everyday construction, because it lets you report a claim while signalling that it is a claim, not a verified fact.

Definition Repute Versus Reputation: Which Word to Choose

If repute and reputation mean such similar things, why does English keep both? The answer is register and rhythm. Reputation is the everyday word, suitable for almost any context, from a school newsletter to a board report. Repute is the formal cousin, best reserved for moments when you want a slightly elevated, official tone. In a casual email, “she has a great reputation” sounds natural; “she is of great repute” sounds stiff, unless you are writing a formal reference. Choosing between them is therefore less about meaning and more about tone, audience, and occasion.

There is also a grammatical difference worth noting. Reputation takes a wide range of modifiers and constructions: a growing reputation, a damaged reputation, a reputation for honesty, a reputation as a tough negotiator. Repute is narrower. It appears most often in the patterns “of good repute”, “of ill repute”, and “in high repute”, and it resists being stretched much further. If you find yourself forcing repute into a construction that feels awkward, reputation is almost always the safer choice. Good writing is not about using the rarest word available; it is about using the word that fits the sentence.

For learners of English, the safest rule is simple: use “reputation” by default, use “reputable” when you mean trustworthy, use “reputed” when you mean merely said to be, and reserve “repute” itself for formal phrases. That rule will keep you correct in almost every situation, and it will also make your writing sound natural rather than strained. Readers notice when a formal word is used for effect; they also notice when it is used for no reason at all.

Writing Tips: Using Repute Without Error

First, never let “reputed” do the work of “reputable”. If you recommend a firm, a doctor, or a tradesperson, and you mean that they are trustworthy, say “reputable”. If you only mean that people say good things about them, and you have not checked, say “reputed” and let the reader draw their own conclusion. Second, avoid piling up the word family in a single sentence. “A reputable firm of good repute with a fine reputation” says the same thing three times and sounds like padding. Choose one and move on.

Third, remember that repute is about opinion, so pair it with evidence when you can. “The school, long held in high repute, has topped its regional inspection ratings for five successive years” is stronger than the repute claim alone, because it shows why the opinion exists. Fourth, be careful with negative uses. Calling a person or a business “of ill repute” is a serious claim, and in published writing it should rest on evidence rather than rumour. When in doubt, soften the claim or attribute it: “described by critics as being of ill repute” is fairer than a bare assertion, and it protects both the writer and the reader.

Finally, watch your spelling. Repute is sometimes confused with “reputable” in the sense of “respectable”, and with “reputation” in the sense of “fame”. A person can be famous without being reputable, and reputable without being famous. A small local bookshop may be highly reputable among its regulars while remaining unknown to the wider world. Fame is about being known; repute is about being well thought of by those who know. Keeping that distinction in mind will sharpen every sentence in which the word appears.

Definition Repute: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the definition repute in one sentence?

The definition repute is the general opinion that people hold about someone or something, especially their standing or esteem in a community.

Is reputed the same as reputable?

No. Reputed means generally believed or said to be something, without proof, while reputable means genuinely worthy of trust and having a good reputation.

Can repute be used as a verb?

Historically yes, as in “he was reputed to be wealthy”, but in modern English the verb form survives mainly in that passive construction. The noun and the adjective forms are far more common today.

What does “of good repute” mean?

It means regarded as respectable and trustworthy by the community, and it is most often used in formal contexts such as references, applications, and official descriptions.

Conclusion

The definition repute, at its core, is about how someone or something is reckoned by others. It is the opinion held, the standing enjoyed, and the esteem earned or lost over time. Its relatives each add a shade of meaning: reputed reports a belief, reputable vouches for trustworthiness, reputation names the accumulated opinion, and disrepute marks its loss. Used carefully, this small word family gives writers a precise way to separate what is said from what is proved, and to describe standing without overstating the evidence. Keep the distinctions in mind, choose reputation for everyday use, reserve repute for formal phrases, and never confuse a rumour with a recommendation, and your writing will be both accurate and natural. That accuracy is the practical reward of mastering the definition repute.