The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Notoriety \No`to*ri"e*ty\ (n[=o]`t[-o]*r[imac]"[-e]*t[y^]), n.
   [Cf. F. notori['e]t['e]. See Notorious.]
   The quality or condition of being notorious; the state of
   being generally or publicly known; -- commonly used in an
   unfavorable sense; as, the notoriety of a crime.
   [1913 Webster]

         They were not subjects in their own nature so exposed
         to public notoriety.                     --Addison.
   [1913 Webster]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

notoriety
    n 1: the state of being known for some unfavorable act or
         quality [syn: notoriety, ill fame]

Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:

86 Moby Thesaurus words for "notoriety":
   PR, acclaim, arrantness, ballyhoo, blatancy, blot, blurb, boldness,
   bright light, celebrity, character, common knowledge,
   conspicuousness, cry, currency, daylight, discredit,
   discreditableness, disgrace, disgracefulness, dishonor,
   dishonorableness, disreputability, disreputableness, disrepute,
   eclat, exposure, fame, famousness, figure, flagrance, flagrancy,
   glare, glory, high relief, hoopla, hue and cry, ignominy, infamy,
   kudos, limelight, maximum dissemination, name, noticeability,
   notoriousness, obloquy, obtrusiveness, opprobrium, ostentation,
   outstandingness, plug, popularity, press notice, prominence,
   promotion, pronouncedness, propaganda, public eye,
   public knowledge, public relations, public report, publicity,
   publicity story, publicness, puff, reclame, recognition, renown,
   rep, report, reputation, repute, salience, saliency, scandal,
   shame, shamefulness, spotlight, stain, strikingness, strong relief,
   the bubble reputation, unrespectability, unsavoriness, vogue,
   write-up



Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856):

NOTORIETY, evidence. That which is generally known.
     2. This notoriety is of fact or of law. In general, the notoriety of a
fact is not sufficient to found a judgment or to rely on its truth; 1 Ohio
Rep. 207; but there are some facts of which, in consequence of their
notoriety, the court will, suo motu, take cognizance; for example, facts
stated in ancient histories; Skin. 14; 1 Ventr. R. 149; 2 East, Rep. 464; 9
Ves. jr. 347; 10 Ves.jr. 854; 8 John. Rep. 385; 1 Binn. R. 399; recitals in
statutes; Co. Lit. 19 b; 4 M. & S. 542; and in the law text books; 4 Inst.
240; 2 Rags. 313; and the journals of the legislatures, are considered of
such notoriety that they need not be otherwise proved.
     3. The courts of the United States take judicial notice of the, ports
and waters of the United States, in, which the tide ebbs and flows. 3 Dall.
297; 9 Wheat. 374; 10 Wheat. 428; 7 Pet. 342. They take like notice of the
boundaries, of the several states and judicial districts. It would be
altogether unnecessary, if not absurd, to prove the fact that London in
Great Britain or Paris in France, is not within the jurisdiction of an
American court, because the fact is notoriously known.
     4. It is difficult to say what will amount to such notoriety as to
render any other proof unnecessary. This must depend upon many
circumstances; in one case, perhaps upon the progress of human knowledge in
the fields of science; in another, on the extent of information on the state
of foreign countries, and in all such instances upon the accident of their
being little known or publicly communicated. The notoriety of the law is
such that the judges are always bound to take notice of it; statutes,
precedents and text books are therefore evidence, without any other proof
than, their production. Gresley, Ev. 293. The courts of the United States
take judicial notice of all laws and jurisprudence of the several states in
which they exercise original or appellate jurisdiction. 9 Pet. 607, 624.
     5. The doctrine of the civil and canon laws is similar to this. Boehmer
in tit. 10, de probat. lib. 2, t. 19, n. 2; Mascardus, de probat conclus.
1106, 1107, et seq.; Menock. de praesumpt. lib. 1, quaest. 63, &c.; Toullier
Dr. Civ. Frau. liv. 3, c. 6, n. 13; Diet. de Jurisp. mot Notoriete; 1 Th.
Co. Lit. 26, n. 16; 2 Id. 63, n. A; Id. 334, n. 6; Id. 513, n. T 3; 9 Dana,
23 12 Vern. 178; 5 Port. 382; 1 Chit. PI. 216, 225.



The Devil's Dictionary (1881-1906):

NOTORIETY, n.  The fame of one's competitor for public honors.  The
kind of renown most accessible and acceptable to mediocrity.  A
Jacob's-ladder leading to the vaudeville stage, with angels ascending
and descending.