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

Relevance
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
  • Voting is underway for the Official State Dish Registry, which aims to be a permanent record of the foods that help define each state's identity, much like state birds and nicknames.
    — James Powel, USA Today, 24 Aug. 2026
  • As to whether Sassnitz shakes off its nicknames from last year, that partly depends on what happens this weekend.
    — Andrew Rice, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of nicknames
Noun
  • According to Dundy, rebellion against their father defined much of the future filmmaker’s life, which unfolded as a struggle for freedom characterized by bold actions and boldface names.
    — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Those names can be drafted in the middle rounds as upside options in an offense that is expected to take another step forward.
    — Jonathan Rubin, Charlotte Observer, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of names
Noun
  • In 2019, his great-nephews Albert and Lawrence Lewitinn (their surnames are spelled differently than the artist’s) inherited about 1,000 of the artist’s works.
    — R. Daniel Foster, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026
  • 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
Definition of surnames
Noun
  • Unlike Pluto's naming, when the public suggested monikers for the new planet, the public didn't participate in the scientific process of its recategorization.
    — Stefanie Waldek, Space.com, 24 Aug. 2026
  • The monikers Bella and Luna have consistently vied for the top spot, with Max topping the charts in 2022, before being unseated by Milo.
    — Clare Fisher, PEOPLE, 12 Aug. 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
  • More than 200 titles will launch with Indonesian dubbing, with a wider slate available in Indonesian subtitles.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 26 Aug. 2026
  • ReelShort catalogue titles will be available on Vidio starting on September 1 through the dedicated Short Drama tab, launched by Vidio last year, for subscribers on the TV Extra, Platinum, Platinum Extra, and Ultimate packages.
    — Liz Shackleton, Deadline, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of titles
Noun
  • Make sure estate documents and beneficiary designations reflect your wishes, including charitable giving.
    — Angie O’Leary, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
  • The designations build on the State Department's September 2025 terrorist designations of Los Choneros and Los Lobos, and on earlier actions by Treasury against those groups and CJNG.
    — Richard Escobedo, CBS News, 20 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
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Cognomens.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cognomens. Accessed 29 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of kith

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Aug. 28

Why do we say 'break a leg'?
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All