in name
idiom
—used with a following statement to say that something is so by name or title but that is not the way things really are
The Emperor rules in name but not in fact.
She's my boss in name, but we're really more like partners.
Examples of in name in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
President-elect Donald Trump, who was still a candidate for the Republican nomination at the time, weighed in on the matter and called Phelan a RINO, an acronym that stands for Republican in name only, even though the speaker had endorsed Trump's comeback bid.
—
John C. Moritz, Austin American-Statesman, 6 Dec. 2024
Maine Maine's Secretary of State office urges voters to update their registration in the event of a change in name,address or party affiliation.
—Patrick Maguire, CBS News, 5 Nov. 2024
Although Matlock has returned to the screen in name, that’s about where the similarities end with the new reboot.
—Glenn Garner, Deadline, 18 Oct. 2024
As part of this settlement, it is reported that the NCAA will be paying up to $2.9 billion in name, image and likeness (NIL) back-damages to former college athletes, with individual schools also set to pay up to $22 million annually directly to their athletes.
—Aaron Ryan, Forbes, 16 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for in name 
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.
John C. Moritz, Austin American-Statesman, 6 Dec. 2024
Maine Maine's Secretary of State office urges voters to update their registration in the event of a change in name,address or party affiliation.
—Patrick Maguire, CBS News, 5 Nov. 2024
Although Matlock has returned to the screen in name, that’s about where the similarities end with the new reboot.
—Glenn Garner, Deadline, 18 Oct. 2024
As part of this settlement, it is reported that the NCAA will be paying up to $2.9 billion in name, image and likeness (NIL) back-damages to former college athletes, with individual schools also set to pay up to $22 million annually directly to their athletes.
—Aaron Ryan, Forbes, 16 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for in name
Dictionary Entries Near in name
Cite this Entry
“In name.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/in%20name. Accessed 25 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share