the famous vs a famous

Both 'the famous' and 'a famous' are correct, but they are used in different contexts. 'The famous' is used to refer to specific well-known people or things, while 'a famous' is used when talking about any well-known person or thing without specifying a particular one.

Last updated: April 03, 2024 • 560 views

the famous

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English.

Use 'the famous' when referring to specific well-known people or things. It indicates that the person or thing being mentioned is widely recognized.

Examples:

The famous singer performed at the concert last night.
I met the famous author at the book signing event.

Show examples from the web [+]

Of course I have heard of the famous treasure of San Lorenzo.
He was trying to teach her the famous basketball players names and their positions and everything.
The hotel enjoys a privileged location on the famous Rue Royale, just a 20-minute walk from the famous Grand Place and the Palais Royal.
A tapestry depicting the famous siege of Castle Apcadwallader.
Mathew Brady, the famous battlefield photographer.
Some small-town deputy that's starstruck with the famous writer.
Here comes the famous Bernstein temper.
These included the famous Criollo scholar Pedro Peralta y Barnuevo.
Actually, Barnum never even said the famous quotation.
And of course the famous Calvados.
His godfather was the famous leader Eugenio di Savoia.
This is the famous Fuente Magna Bowl discovered near Tiahuanaco.
Duke Ellington, the famous racing driver.
Perform the famous linking rings routine with ropes.
Taste the famous local lamb with traditional spices.
Her Asolo remain Barco Altivole and the famous castle.
This is the famous sugar-for-chicken feathers pattern.
This lovely location, situated half-way between the famous...
So here's the famous Jeanne... saviour of Orleans, terror of the English.
You know, the famous bowler.

Alternatives:

the renowned
the well-known
the celebrated
the acclaimed
the legendary

a famous

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English.

Use 'a famous' when talking about any well-known person or thing without specifying a particular one. It indicates that the person or thing is known to many people.

Examples:

She is a famous actress in Hollywood.
He owns a famous restaurant in the city.

Show examples from the web [+]

Congratulations,'re a famous missing person.
Your mother was a famous shield-maiden.
That's a famous sausage hereabouts.
Rather run-down for a famous novelist.
Ghost Ranch includes a famous palaeontological site preserving Triassic dinosaurs.
Her father owns a famous undergarments manufacturer.
Morcote was also a famous fishing village.
Chaozhou is a famous historical and cultural city.
Centomiglia is a famous regatta held annually on Lake Garda.
He became a famous figure in what was called Nonalignment.
Take a wallpaper depicting a famous painting for instance.
Pass this intersection, there's a famous Noodle place.
Kung Zi has grown and is now a famous beauty of Kyoto.
You are a famous and funny person.
This turban was given to me by a famous tiger hunter.
Everyone has the name of a famous person taped to their back.
I said I danced Ballenchine for? is a famous choreographer.
Who would have thought. a famous person in sona.
President Roosevelt is a famous collector.
Miss Dell is a famous motion picture actress in America.

Alternatives:

a renowned
a well-known
a celebrated
a acclaimed
a legendary

What Our Customers Are Saying

Our customers love us! We have an average rating of 4.79 stars based on 283,125 votes.
Also check out our 2,100+ reviews on TrustPilot (4.9).

"Amazing! I like that the editors are REAL people and not A.I., like some use. The editors actually see clients as real people and not just apart of their job, and it shows. 💖"
moggie April 2025
"TextRanch has been a great help to me, especially at work because I often email my boss."
Jhey April 2025
"Thank you!"
Sachi Nakama July 2024
"I have literally been through chat, PI, claude, bard and bing and I got conflicting answers! Thank you! Human intelligence reigns!"
Retha July 2024
"Faster than AI"
CYNTHIA December 2023
"This was very helpful and I personally think this site is the best."
Kaden October 2023
"It was extremely thorough and very helpful!"
imperialelisa October 2023
"7 years without any disappointment. Always 100% satisfied. You guys are the best in the world at what you do. Thank you so much :)"
Zubair Alam October 2023
"In a world of text messages and online communication, this is great to have as a live tool. Thank you."
Selena October 2023
"Without textranch I would be stuck!"
宏祐 October 2023
"Accuracy and fast response. Personal comments from editor. Thank you."
Clh September 2023
"I wasn't aware of this service, it's fascinating and more reliable than standard IA tools available on the internet"
Arturo September 2023
"The fact that you can get reliable fast feedback on your texts."
Vinicius Antonio August 2023
"you guys are better than grammarly i'm being honest here"
ordinary July 2023
"OMG! This is really good than any other text correction tools I've used so far. Highly recommend this."
Vehan July 2023
"Very fast and accurate. thank you."
mojtaba July 2023
"I love this app because it's help to writing skills all of students ♥️"
Tarisini July 2023
"This was exactly the mistake I was looking for, the wording dind´t sound right at first. Better than grammarly!"
Ente July 2023
"The immediate help that I received was reassuring and very satisfactory. Thanks."
priiiyanshuu July 2023
"this helps A LOT for my studies."
kathnunez02 June 2023
"Woow!! I would never have expected such precision! Thank you soooo much!!"
Berta June 2023
"Real Time Editor and not AI. Many Thanks."
Priya June 2023
"The very first thing excites me about Textranch is how much your editors care."
sepideh June 2023
"The fact that texts are checked by human editors rather than by AI, etc. I appreciate this!"
Анна June 2023