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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The moniker is derived from a manipulation of Japanese folklore that became popular following the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in eastern Japan that led to the Fukushima nuclear plant meltdown, Frable said.Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 21 Nov. 2024
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That moniker — inspired as much by Gerwig’s thoughtful reflection on girlhood as sweeping support for pop stars like Taylor Swift and Beyoncé — would have seemed premature if it had actually been followed by the election of the first U.S. woman president in 2024.Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 20 Nov. 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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In its opening scene, from George Harrison’s 1971 Concert for Bangladesh, Preston starts singing the warmly exhorting gospel song that gives the film its name.David Browne, Rolling Stone, 22 Nov. 2024
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Three years later, overturning the ban against college athletes making money from their name, image and likeness (also known as NIL) is having major payoffs.Tanya Chen, The Hollywood Reporter, 22 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Editor's note: The attribution in this story was updated to reflect that Stroh is the legal surname of Jordan Stroh Ouellette.Alexandria Burris, The Indianapolis Star, 14 Nov. 2024
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Women who don't want to lose their surnames sometimes hyphenate them with their fiancés'.Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 31 Oct. 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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Though dramatic in nomenclature, a bomb cyclone is a low pressure system found north of the tropics and south of the Arctic that deepens, or intensifies, very rapidly over a 24-hour period.Terry Castleman, Los Angeles Times, 21 Nov. 2024
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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
Thesaurus Entries Near cognomen
Cite this Entry
“Cognomen.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cognomen. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
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