First published 1894; not yet revised

famelessadjective

Etymology
Meaning & use
Pronunciation
Frequency
Compounds & derived words

Quotations

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Factsheet

What does the adjective fameless mean?

There is one meaning in OED's entry for the adjective fameless. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definition, usage, and quotation evidence.

Entry status

OED is undergoing a continuous programme of revision to modernize and improve definitions. This entry has not yet been fully revised.

See meaning & use

How common is the adjective fameless?

Fewer than 0.01occurrences per million words in modern written English

1800	0.0049
1810	0.0051
1820	0.0049
1830	0.0057
1840	0.0064
1850	0.0072
1860	0.0075
1870	0.0077
1880	0.0077
1890	0.0079
1900	0.0069
1910	0.0064
1920	0.0049
1930	0.0041
1940	0.0031
1950	0.0024
1960	0.0017
1970	0.0015
1980	0.0014
1990	0.0013
2000	0.0012
2010	0.0011

See frequency

How is the adjective fameless pronounced?

British English

/ˈfeɪmlɪs/

See pronunciation

Where does the adjective fameless come from?

Earliest known use

early 1600s

The earliest known use of the adjective fameless is in the early 1600s.

OED's earliest evidence for fameless is from 1611, in the writing of Joshua Sylvester, poet and translator.

fameless is formed within English, by derivation.

Etymons: fame n.1, ‑less suffix.

See etymology

Nearby entries

fambler, n.1610–1725
fambling, n.1611–93
fambling, adj.1611
fame, n.¹?c1225–
fame, n.²c1515
fame, v.¹1303–
fame, v.²?a1400
famed, adj.a1533–
fame-flower, n.1879–
fameful, adj.1605–
fameless, adj.1611–
famelic, adj.1631–51
famelicose, adj.1727–75
Famennian, adj.1882–
famer, n.1646
famicide, n.1656–1721
famigerate, v.1623–6
famigeration, n.1692
famigerous, adj.1727
familary, adj.a1500
familia, n.1676–

Browse more nearby entries

Etymology

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Entry history for fameless, adj.

fameless, adj. was first published in 1894; not yet revised

fameless, adj. was last modified in July 2023

Revision of the OED is a long-term project. Entries in oed.com which have not been revised may include:

corrections and revisions to definitions, pronunciation, etymology, headwords, variant spellings, quotations, and dates;
new senses, phrases, and quotations which have been added in subsequent print and online updates.

Revisions and additions of this kind were last incorporated into fameless, adj. in July 2023.

Earlier versions of fameless, adj. were published in:

OED First Edition (1894)

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OED Second Edition (1989)

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View fameless, adj. in Second Edition

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Chicago

Oxford English Dictionary, s.v. “,” , .

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“” Oxford English Dictionary, Oxford UP, , .

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Citation details

Factsheet for fameless, adj.

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Nearby entries

fambler, n.1610–1725
fambling, n.1611–93
fambling, adj.1611
fame, n.¹?c1225–
fame, n.²c1515
fame, v.¹1303–
fame, v.²?a1400
famed, adj.a1533–
fame-flower, n.1879–
fameful, adj.1605–
fameless, adj.1611–
famelic, adj.1631–51
famelicose, adj.1727–75
Famennian, adj.1882–
famer, n.1646
famicide, n.1656–1721
famigerate, v.1623–6
famigeration, n.1692
famigerous, adj.1727
familary, adj.a1500
familia, n.1676–

Browse more nearby entries