Be Famous As Something vs. Famous For Something
Be Famous As Something vs. Famous For Something compares Oxford’s directly documented patterns. Famous as identifies the role or capacity in which a person or thing is famous, while famous for names the work, quality, achievement, product, or feature that is the basis of that fame.
Use famous as to identify the role or capacity in which someone is famous; use famous for to identify the work, quality, achievement, product, or feature for which the fame exists.
Key details
Choose the right form
| Meaning / situation | Construction | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| identity, role, or capacity in which fame is held | famous as + noun phrase | identify the role/capacity |
| work, quality, achievement, product, or feature behind the fame | famous for + noun/-ing | name the basis of fame |
Quick tests
Role-or-reason test
Are you identifying what the person/thing is famous as, or why/for what it is famous?
If yes: Use “famous as + role/capacity.”
If no: Use “famous for + work/quality/feature.”
Caveat: A sentence can sometimes contain both ideas, but “as” and “for” encode different relationships.
Examples
She became famous as a novelist.
“As” identifies the role in which she is known.
The town is famous for its market.
“For” names the feature that is the basis of fame.
He is famous as a designer and for his minimalist interiors.
The two complements can coexist when both role and basis are relevant.
Further guidance
Core difference
Oxford directly documents famous as something and famous for something and gives examples that show the role-versus-reason distinction.
Style Boundary
The two patterns can coexist for the same subject, but they answer different questions: in what capacity versus for what reason.
Sources and evidence
Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.
- famous — Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary (opens in a new tab)Oxford University Press · Direct dictionary evidence distinguishing famous as from famous for