in name

phrase

—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

Ballet core may be a recent trend in name, but little girls, including me, have always revered a ballerina. — Claire Salinda, Los Angeles Times, 11 Aug. 2026

For a long time, FIFA has been the organiser of World Cups and, in name at least, the most powerful organization in the sport. — Adam Crafton, New York Times, 31 July 2026

Portfolios that looked diversified by asset count turned out to be diversified in name only, because everything in them was correlated to the same macro story the moment the floor moved. — Andrew Sukhin, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026

Senra’s show is still autotelic, just in practice and not in name. — Lily Mae Lazarus, Fortune, 5 July 2026

Rhymes for in name

• acclaim
• aflame
• airframe
• ballgame
• became
• declaim
• defame
• disclaim
• doorframe
• exclaim
• inflame
• mainframe