1. Having an exceedingly bad reputation; notorious.
2. Causing or deserving infamy; heinous: an infamous deed.
3. Law.
   1. Punishable by severe measures, such as death, long imprisonment, or loss of civil rights.
   2. Convicted of a crime, such as treason or felony, that carries such a punishment.

[Middle English infamis, from Latin īnfāmis : in-, not; see in-¹ + fāma, renown, fame.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.