in name

idiom

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

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Realism is important for many F1 romance readers — books that say F1 in name but don’t include the actualities of the sport can have far lower ratings on review sites like Goodreads or StoryGraph. Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 28 June 2025 Certified under FedRAMP High and multiple SOC standards, Gemini is enterprise-ready in name — but Google’s data practices still raise flags for regulated sectors. Emil Sayegh, Forbes.com, 8 May 2025 While similar in name and timing, the 2024 event did not coincide with the lunar standstill effect that makes the 2025 appearance visually unique. Kate Nalepinski, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 June 2025 The 215-214 score included most House Republicans, ranging from the SALT RINOs, or Republicans in name only, representing blue state districts to Freedom Caucus fiscal hawks. Tiana Lowe Doescher, The Washington Examiner, 30 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for in name

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Cite this Entry

“In name.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/in%20name. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.

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