Etymology

famous for being famous

Today it means: Having attained celebrity status for no distinguished reason; appearing to generate one's own fame, or well-known only through association with an existing celebrity, as opposed to fame based on achievements, skill, or talent. Full definition →

Ask AI about its historyChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

The story

The term originates from an analysis of the media-dominated world called The Image: A Guide to Pseudo-events in America (1961), by historian and social theorist Daniel J. Boorstin, in which he defined the celebrity as "a person who is known for his well-knownness".

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.