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
  • In a Mexican family where several women shared the same name, nicknames were inevitable.
    — Noel Burgess, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026
  • The moon's nicknames, like April's Pink Moon, May's Flower Moon, or June's Strawberry Moon, originated from Native Americans', Colonial Americans', and other cultures' names for the moon.
    — Julia Gomez, USA Today, 23 July 2026
Definition of nicknames
Noun
  • The first few names on the list read like a Who’s Who of wonderkids; Renato Sanches was once a shoo-in for your Football Manager save, while Pedri and Joao Neves have gone on to become two of the most influential midfielders in the game.
    — Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 13 Aug. 2026
  • The suit seeks compensatory and punitive damages and names Arellano in his individual capacity as the sole defendant.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of names
Noun
  • Last year, those bases reverted to their original names, but with different namesakes who share Confederate surnames.
    — Kevin Freking, Los Angeles Times, 22 July 2026
  • Like most Spanish people, Yamal, who turned 19 on Monday, has two surnames — one inherited from his father, another from his mother.
    — Dermot Corrigan, New York Times, 14 July 2026
Definition of surnames
Noun
  • Expect to see names like Helaena, Baela, and Alicent all become popular monikers for princesses-in-training in the next few years—dragons not included.
    — Parents, Parents, 31 July 2026
  • The Bachelor Nation star and his wife landed on the twins' first names after testing them out with River, who didn't hesitate to make the monikers part of her everyday vocabulary even before her little sisters were born.
    — Zoey Lyttle, PEOPLE, 3 July 2026
Definition of monikers
Noun
  • The raid drew criticism over separating families, and a group of Idahoans sued, saying officers hurled racial epithets and largely withheld water, food, bathrooms and medical care.
    — Idaho Statesman, Idaho Statesman, 15 Aug. 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
  • The Cuban won flyweight gold at the 2004 Athens Olympics and later unified the WBA and IBF featherweight titles, and this is his bare-knuckle debut.
    — Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2026
  • The sidebar returns with four microbudget films, and the rest of the lineup is filled with bold domestic and international titles that just might introduce attendees to their new favorite filmmaker.
    — Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of titles
Noun
  • Any changes in zoning designations won’t enable a site redevelopment or project approval by themselves.
    — George Avalos, Mercury News, 14 Aug. 2026
  • The essential point is that the three designations have become obsolete in the wake of nineteenth-century social and economic developments, but for that very reason are associated with Jews.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 12 Aug. 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 20 Aug. 2026.

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