Thesaurus results for COGNOMEN

cognomen

noun

käg-ˈnō-mən

Definition of cognomen

as in nickname

a descriptive or familiar name given instead of or in addition to the one belonging to an individual richly deserved the cognomen of "Butterfingers"

Synonyms & Similar Words

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as in moniker

a word or combination of words by which a person or thing is regularly known "Christopher Columbus" is the Latinized cognomen of the navigator who was known to his Spanish crewmates as Cristóbal Colón

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of cognomen The cognomen, or surname, of the Oba is Ekpen-owa, or home leopard. — NOLA.com, 1 Feb. 2021 Moore submitted dozens of wonderful, wondrous cognomens, including Mongoose Civique, Regina-rex, Aeroterre, Dearborn Diamanté and the deathless Utopian Turtletop. — Dan Neil, WSJ, 20 Mar. 2020 Denmark, Iceland, Hungary and Saudi Arabia also enforce specific naming conventions where common American cognomens might not make the cut. — Caroline Picard, Good Housekeeping, 26 Sep. 2017

Recent Examples of Synonyms for cognomen

Noun

Flair, whose nickname was The Nature Boy, is one of the all-time great former wrestlers.

— Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 22 Aug. 2026
The new whisky series is called Moments from The Glorious Playground, a reference to the nickname for the area surrounding Gleneagles.

— Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of nickname

Noun

At this early juncture, the O’Hare Flyer needs a Chicago train daddy, to borrow the moniker famously given to the British transit executive Andy Byford, who now is leading the overhaul of New York’s Penn Station.

— The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2026
Unlike Pluto's naming, when the public suggested monikers for the new planet, the public didn't participate in the scientific process of its recategorization.

— Stefanie Waldek, Space.com, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of moniker

Noun

The raid drew criticism over separating families, and a group of Idahoans sued, saying officers hurled racial epithets and largely withheld water, food, bathrooms and medical care.

— Idaho Statesman, Idaho Statesman, 15 Aug. 2026
Hochman detailed a number of prosecutions, including the sentence of one man to a life sentence plus seven years with the possibility of parole for a March 23 attack, during which racial epithets were uttered.

— City News Service, Daily News, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of epithet

Noun

The cops don’t entirely buy that their serial killer is a high-school student, even as Bret identifies Robert by name.

— Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 27 Aug. 2026
Under the map labeled with Strong's name, the northernmost part of the Central zone would be extended west to I-430.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of name

Noun

Shiloh, now 20, filed to change her surname on May 27 of that year, which was also the then-teen’s 18th birthday.

— Tommy McArdle, PEOPLE, 21 Aug. 2026
In 2019, his great-nephews Albert and Lawrence Lewitinn (their surnames are spelled differently than the artist’s) inherited about 1,000 of the artist’s works.

— R. Daniel Foster, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of surname

Noun

The soundtrack has generated more than 15 billion streams worldwide, while the film became the only title to spend 52 consecutive weeks in Netflix’s Global Top 10.

— Martin Goillandeau, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026
In the final of the 2014 edition, Germany lifted its fourth title after a 1-0 extra-time win against Lionel Messi's Argentina.

— ABC News, ABC News, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of title

Noun

Many women-forward organizations are rightfully changing their nomenclature and their audience to be inclusive of non-binary and trans women, because that’s a whole other subsection that is often more ignored.

— Selena Fragassi, SPIN, 10 Aug. 2026
Public-health officials coined a nonjudgmental nomenclature that persists to this day.

— Michael Powell, The Atlantic, 30 July 2026

Definition of nomenclature

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cognizing

cognomen

cognomens

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Style

“Cognomen.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cognomen. Accessed 27 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of cognomen

noun

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