agnomen

noun

ag·​no·​men ag-ˈnō-mən How to pronounce agnomen (audio)
plural agnomina ag-ˈnä-mə-nə How to pronounce agnomen (audio) or agnomens
: an additional cognomen given to a person by the ancient Romans (as in honor of some achievement)

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin agnōmen, alteration of *adnōmen (by analogy with nōscere "to get to know" : agnōscere "to acknowledge, recognize"), from ad- ad- + nōmen name entry 1 — more at agnize

First Known Use

1654, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of agnomen was in 1654

Dictionary Entries Near agnomen

Cite this Entry

“Agnomen.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/agnomen. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on agnomen

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!