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

Hiring contractors, however, simply wasn’t an option, so the project became a two-person effort in name, but largely a one-man renovation in practice. — Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 31 Oct. 2026

Calvert’s campaign, meanwhile, labels Kim a RINO, or Republican in name only, a pejorative used to describe a disloyal conservative. — Dakota Smith, Los Angeles Times, 30 Oct. 2026

Born soon after Vladimir Putin rose to power in Russia in 1999, democratic competition existed in name only for her generation. — Ilan Ben Zion, Christian Science Monitor, 26 Oct. 2026

It was followed, less than a decade later, by the 911 GT1 Straßenversion, which, while a 911 in name, was the street-legal version of the company’s mid-1990s Le Mans racer. — Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 15 Oct. 2026

Rhymes for in name

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