1
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"
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2
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
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Recent Examples of cognomen
Part of the Tuscia — cognomen of lush forested Viterbo, crossed by the ancient Roman Francigena road and land of the Etruscans before that — Gradoli is also volcanic.
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Susan H. Gordon, Forbes, 3 Sep. 2021
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
Susan H. Gordon, Forbes, 3 Sep. 2021
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
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His work garnered him a few nicknames, more followers and a nice pay bump.Kaycee Sloan, The Enquirer, 6 Nov. 2024
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However, because its peculiar shape was reminiscent of a clothes iron, the Flatiron nickname quickly stuck.Elizabeth Fazzare, Architectural Digest, 5 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Regrettably, the catchy moniker has slinked into our vocabulary, and we are seemingly stuck with it.Lance Eliot, Forbes, 28 Oct. 2024
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In fact, another beloved train also, confusingly, operates under the iconic moniker: the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express belongs to Belmond and travels occasionally through Italy.JD Shadel, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 Oct. 2024
Noun
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Today, the term is more often used as a negative epithet—but on her wise and poignant R&B album Heaux Tales, Jazmine Sullivan celebrates gossip’s emotional significance, showing the revelations and self-explorations that arise when women nurture community.Pitchfork, Pitchfork, 1 Oct. 2024
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Risqué language and colorful ethnics epithets flowed as liberally as the liquor, drawing the ire of a nearby diner who, while not nearly as famous, was at least as wealthy and possibly more influential.Lizz Schumer, People.com, 29 Sep. 2024
Noun
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Adding poignancy, the narrative is interspersed with obituaries of some of the patients Shelly could not save, showing them as human beings and not just names on a medical chart.Mary Ann Grossmann, Twin Cities, 10 Nov. 2024
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The last successful Maxwell model was called the Chrysler Six, so when Maxwell Motors reorganized, the name was changed to Chrysler Corp. with guess-who as its president and board chairman.David Krumboltz, The Mercury News, 10 Nov. 2024
Noun
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The suspect, a 62-year-old man identified only by his surname, Fan, was said to be upset by the division of property after his divorce.Jennifer Jett, NBC News, 13 Nov. 2024
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His surname is derived from Ar-Ramtha, a city on the northern edge of Jordan which grew prosperous through the illicit transit of goods in and out of the country.Ed Caesar, The New Yorker, 4 Nov. 2024
Noun
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But the Roos tied the game near the end of the first half and, with a man advantage, grabbed a winner to clinch their second-straight Summit League title, 2-1, on Saturday at DU Soccer Stadium.Braidon Nourse, The Denver Post, 16 Nov. 2024
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The organizations that allegedly published them, including the American Psychological Association and Pew Research Center, are real, but the titles cited in the document are not discoverable online.Emily Dreibelbis Forlini, PCMAG, 11 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Some aficionados will argue that three complications is just a complicated watch, but four—and more certainly five—qualifies for the grand complication nomenclature.Sophie Furley, Robb Report, 5 Nov. 2024
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Brandon Gomes, a former pitcher who is now L.A.’s general manager, clarified the nomenclature.Nicholas Dawidoff, The New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near cognomen
Cite this Entry
“Cognomen.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cognomen. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.
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