| It pained me recently to read the following headline on a college blog: "Students hear from renown researcher." The faux pas was repeated in the story itself, where the speaker was referred to as "a world renown researcher." While this could have merely been a typo, experience (and the fact that it appeared twice) tells me otherwise. I've seen this mistake a lot over the years; I think many people simply don't know that renown is a noun and renowned is an adjective. |
The brilliant speaker who enthralled listeners at this college event may be a researcher of world renown (used as a noun), but he is a world-renowned (adjective) researcher.
That's it. This one is pretty simple. By the way ... renown means that a person or thing is widely recognized for a talent, ability or achievement. (As in a renowned painter or world-renowned museum.)
Do you have trouble with renown vs. renowned? Do you see this mistake often? Please share your thoughts and observations in the Comments.
That's it. This one is pretty simple. By the way ... renown means that a person or thing is widely recognized for a talent, ability or achievement. (As in a renowned painter or world-renowned museum.)
Do you have trouble with renown vs. renowned? Do you see this mistake often? Please share your thoughts and observations in the Comments.
