variants
or cognomina
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
Noun
-
According to a royal author, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been given some pretty cold nicknames within the palace.—
Tessa Petak,
InStyle,
3 Apr. 2026 -
The inside jokes, the nicknames, the handshakes, singing the songs together.—
Meg Walters,
Glamour,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Her heart features the side profiles of two residents wearing Indigenous attire in the foreground, and a map of the city’s East Side, with street names like Indiana Avenue, Holmes Street and Troost Avenue behind them.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
5 Apr. 2026
-
Many of the most famous names in Mississippi civil-rights history got their start in Mound Bayou, or found support and safety there.—
Beverly Gage,
The Atlantic,
5 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
For some families, maiden names or other significant surnames are carried on as first names.—
Lisa Milbrand,
Parents,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Hispanic surnames Huff accused Zamora of mounting a primary challenge against her — rather than seeking an open seat or one held by a Latino judge — because of Huff’s race.—
Molly Smith,
San Antonio Express-News,
20 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
In general, however, these monikers rely on softer vowels and consonants that are light and velvety on the ear.—
Anna Earl,
Parents,
5 Apr. 2026
-
Similarly moralistic monikers were used in the war in Afghanistan (Operation Enduring Freedom) and the 2003 invasion of Iraq (Operation Iraqi Freedom).—
Harmeet Kaur,
CNN Money,
4 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Tensions rose, neighbors said, to the point that King was heard at times swearing at Kirsten Wells as well as others using vulgar epithets.—
Laura Bauer,
Kansas City Star,
26 Mar. 2026
-
On that day, the mob hurled racist epithets, smoke bombs, and fists at him.—
Philip Elliott,
Time,
4 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
UConn's hopes at becoming the first team since John Wooden's UCLA dynasty to win three titles in four seasons came up short, done in by massive foul trouble and its own terrible shooting.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
7 Apr. 2026
-
This was UConn’s first loss in seven championship appearances, with all six titles coming since 1999.—
Justin Williams,
New York Times,
7 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Real estate company Walton Global approached Fort Worth zoning commissioners in May 2024 to rezone parcels of their 1,756-acre property along Chisholm Trail Parkway for a data center and higher-density housing than what existing designations allowed.—
Samuel O’Neal
April 8,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
8 Apr. 2026
-
These designations come with different implications for taxes, liability and administrative complexity.—
Metro Creative Services,
Boston Herald,
6 Apr. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Cognomens.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cognomens. Accessed 9 Apr. 2026.
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