nomenclature

no·men·cla·ture | \ ˈnō-mən-ˌklā-chər also nō-ˈmen-klə-ˌchu̇r

, -ˈmeŋ-, -chər, -ˌtyu̇r, -ˌtu̇r \

Definition of nomenclature

1 : name, designation … the changing nomenclature of her streets is even more baffling …— Cornelia O. Skinner

2 : the act or process or an instance of naming nomenclature … is at its simplest the task of assigning a name to each distinct species— R. I. Smith

3a : a system or set of terms or symbols especially in a particular science, discipline, or art the nomenclature of inorganic chemistry

b : an international system of standardized New Latin names used in biology for kinds and groups of kinds of animals and plants

Other Words from nomenclature Synonyms Are nomenclature and Name Synonymous? More Example Sentences Learn More about nomenclature

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Are nomenclature and Name Synonymous?

In his 1926 Dictionary of Modern English Usage, grammarian H. W. Fowler asserted that it was wrong to use nomenclature as a synonym for name; he declared that nomenclature could only mean "a system of naming or of names." It is true that nomenclature comes from the Latin nomenclatura, meaning "the assigning of names," but the name sense was the first to appear in English (it is documented as long ago as 1610), and it has been considered perfectly standard for centuries.

Examples of nomenclature in a Sentence

the nomenclatures of zoology and chemistry the nomenclature, “tuxedo,” derives from the fact that the jacket first became popular in the resort area of Tuxedo Park, New York

Recent Examples on the Web In one go, Ms. Piwonka had given me a lesson in geography, power and nomenclature. — Russell Shorto, New York Times, "In the Hudson Valley, a Drive Back in Time," 17 June 2019 Our political nomenclature is always adaptive, attaching itself to new events as history unfolds. — Peter E. Gordon, The New York Review of Books, "Why Historical Analogy Matters," 7 Jan. 2020 That said, Asus is tuning the Ryzen 7 4800H to 35 watts and using the nomenclature of Ryzen 4800HS, rather than the full-blown chip. — Gordon Mah Ung, PCWorld, "AMD's 7nm Ryzen 4000 laptop CPUs aim to steal Intel's performance crown," 6 Jan. 2020 Mentions of the blockchain and cryptocurrency on corporate earnings calls in 2017 were double that of the year prior, according to an analysis by Fortune, and the terms soon began worming their way into corporate nomenclature. — Paris Martineau, Wired, "Everything and Nothing Is a Tech Company Now," 26 Dec. 2019 To use Gore Wear’s nomenclature, this would ostensibly be an H7 Shakedry jacket. — Andrew Skurka, Outside Online, "Review: Gore Wear H5 Gore-Tex Shakedry Jacket," 22 Dec. 2019 While the shift away from outdated nomenclature signals a desire to broaden voters’ horizons, the Academy undoes this small gesture with a major oversight: The rules for a film’s eligibility have stayed the same. — Hannah Giorgis, The Atlantic, "What Makes a Movie ‘Foreign’ Enough for the Oscars?," 9 Nov. 2019 But regardless of nomenclature, the most obvious fact about these objects is that none of them orbit our sun, despite being the most plentiful planetary type in the Milky Way. — Lee Billings, Scientific American, "Astronomers Find Water on an Exoplanet Twice the Size of Earth," 11 Sep. 2019 Rather, Beto seems to think that the current and continued Hispanicizing of his nomenclature (remember, at times Beto has dropped his nickname) will pay dividends in a national race. — Victor Davis Hanson, National Review, "How Robert O’Rourke Became ‘Beto’," 12 Aug. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'nomenclature.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

7 Feb 2020

Cite this Entry

“Nomenclature.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nomenclature. Accessed 17 Feb. 2020.

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More Definitions for nomenclature

nomenclature

noun

English Language Learners Definition of nomenclature

formal : a system of names for things especially in science

See the full definition for nomenclature in the English Language Learners Dictionary

nomenclature

noun

no·men·cla·ture | \ ˈnō-mən-ˌklā-chər also nō-ˈmen-klə-ˌchu̇(ə)r, -ˈmeŋ-, -klə-chər, -klə-ˌt(y)u̇(ə)r \

Medical Definition of nomenclature

: a system of terms used in a particular science especially : an international system of standardized New Latin names used in biology for kinds and groups of kinds of animals and plants — see binomial nomenclature