as in nickname
a descriptive or familiar name given instead of or in addition to the one belonging to an individual Thomas Edward Lawrence is better known to most people by his byname, Lawrence of Arabia

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Examples 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 byname Robert the Wise was a good teacher — and, as his byname suggests, a good role model. Anne Thériault, Longreads, 3 July 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for byname
Noun
  • My new nickname may as well be Passenger because Jennifer Lawrence’s pregnancy style is taking me on a journey.
    Alyssa Grabinski, People.com, 20 Dec. 2024
  • Just Askin': Many Kentuckians know who the Cards and Cats are, but the origins of these rival universities' nicknames may not be common knowledge.
    Ray Padilla, The Courier-Journal, 19 Dec. 2024
Noun
  • And while some billionaires built their success from the ground up, there are certain surnames whose appearances on lists of the world’s wealthiest individuals span generations.
    Madeline Fitzgerald, Quartz, 18 Dec. 2024
  • In a now-viral video, viewed over 1.6 million times, Jayla, who didn't give her surname, flashes a playful grin and adjusts her colorful sweater.
    Stephan Pechdimaldji, Newsweek, 14 Dec. 2024
Noun
  • For example, if a butterfly like Papilio glaucus were transferred to a genus with a feminine name, the epithet glaucus (masculine form) would be adjusted to glauca to agree in gender with the new genus.
    The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 12 Dec. 2024
  • The algorithms that underpin LLMs will by default offer up nasty or potentially harmful output such as racist epithets or instructions for building bombs, and fine-tuning from human testers is typically used to teach them behave better.
    Will Knight, WIRED, 4 Dec. 2024

Thesaurus Entries Near byname

Cite this Entry

“Byname.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/byname. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.

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