cognomens

noun

variants or cognomina
plural of cognomen
1
as in nicknames
a descriptive or familiar name given instead of or in addition to the one belonging to an individual richly deserved the cognomen of "Butterfingers"

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in names
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for cognomens
  1. nicknames
  2. names
  3. surnames
  4. monikers
  5. epithets
  6. titles
  7. designations
Noun
  • His nicknames usually reflect his role as a catalyst—The Initiator, The Originator, The Godfather—yet less so his ingenuity and down-home dedication.
    — Gabriel Szatan, Pitchfork, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Regardless of a brand’s intent, sneakerheads love to coin unofficial nicknames for sneakers and often do so with monikers derived from pop-culture.
    — Ian Servantes, Footwear News, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of nicknames
Noun
  • That kind of multiple demands absolute perfection, and recent weeks have shown exactly what happens to heavily weighted tech names that fail to deliver a flawless quarter, Alphabet and Amazon among them.
    — Michael Khouw, CNBC, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Companies with nearly identical names were later incorporated in Slovakia, where business records list Dorofeyeva as the sole or co-owner.
    — Megan Molteni, STAT, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of names
Noun
  • Contemporary observers, including one 20th-century American rabbi, noted that many Black Jamaicans bore Jewish surnames and took pride in their heritage.
    — Zachary Kranc, Sun Sentinel, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Cricket South Africa said players will take the field with the names of breast cancer fighters or survivors replacing their own surnames on the backs of their shirts.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 27 Sep. 2026
Definition of surnames
Noun
  • This is the Leeds full-length that sounds most like the previous one, despite the producer typically showing great range even across his individual monikers.
    — Daniel Bromfield, Pitchfork, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Regardless of a brand’s intent, sneakerheads love to coin unofficial nicknames for sneakers and often do so with monikers derived from pop-culture.
    — Ian Servantes, Footwear News, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of monikers
Noun
  • The American Civil Liberties Union sued in February, alleging officers hurled racial epithets, acted violently, and largely withheld food, water, bathrooms and medical care.
    — Sarah Cutler, Idaho Statesman, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Hochman detailed a number of prosecutions, including the sentence of one man to a life sentence plus seven years with the possibility of parole for a March 23 attack, during which racial epithets were uttered.
    — City News Service, Daily News, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of epithets
Noun
  • And as of 2024, Shenzhen was home to 925 public libraries – some buildings housing millions of physical titles.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 1 Nov. 2026
  • Read on for the complete list of titles hitting Netflix in November.
    — Abid Rahman, HollywoodReporter, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of titles
Noun
  • This body of work now has federal recognition as well, through National Register historic-district designations in 2022 and 2025 spanning central Marfa, Chinati, and the complex known as the Block.
    — Julian Rose, Artforum, 1 Nov. 2026
  • The company identified wash, rub and lightfastness testing under ASTM standards as next steps toward product development but did not provide specific test designations or performance grades.
    — Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of designations
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

cognomen
cognomens
cognoscente
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Cite this Entry

“Cognomens.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cognomens. Accessed 3 Nov. 2026.

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