- A negative reputation (but high profile, in modern speech often considered as a form of Celebrity ), as in crime, immorality, cruelty ...
- A crime consisting in acts which society not only forbids but also considers as highly immoral and particularly dishonoring, as defined (variously) in certain legal systems, as in Poland; in its origin, in Ancient Rome, ''infamia'' was the mark of disapproval of the censors on moral grounds - often such 'legal immorality' is largely defined according to the state - or de facto dominant religion.
- Middle English infamie, meaning dishonor, from Old French, from Latin infamia, from infamia, meaning infamous.
- In the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth infamy (infamia) was a more severe form of Exile sentence. A noble who has been sentenced to infamy, known as ''infamis'' lost the protection of the law and there was a reward for his death. In addition, an exiled noble (''banita'') who killed an infamed one could expect his exile sentence to be revoked.
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