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
  • 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, 30 June 2026
  • The painting is an abstract map of Chicago titled after one of the city's many nicknames that originated in a Carl Sandburg poem.
    — Kyler Alvord, PEOPLE, 19 June 2026
Definition of nicknames
Noun
  • The five names to know for 2027 Five of the potential contenders currently sit on the Charlotte City Council.
    — Josh Bergeron, Charlotte Observer, 1 July 2026
  • Staff weathering the storm The Cubs are more than halfway through the season and playing around a 90-win pace, yet their clubhouse often looks like a scene out of spring training, with new names, unfamiliar faces, and players coming and going.
    — Patrick Mooney, New York Times, 1 July 2026
Definition of names
Noun
  • Many common surnames, such as Carpenter or Baker, originated from occupations passed down through generations, reflecting how closely people’s identities were tied to their work.
    — Tim Bajarin, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026
  • Decade after decade, Chicagoans with Italian surnames have hidden instead of objected.
    — Gary Grasso, Chicago Tribune, 26 June 2026
Definition of surnames
Noun
  • However, this trend doesn't take away from the trend of parents choosing ancient civilization names for their kids — monikers like Cassian, Aurelius and Cleo remain popular.
    — Hannah Sacks, PEOPLE, 26 June 2026
  • The jokes and goofy monikers mattered.
    — Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 11 June 2026
Definition of monikers
Noun
  • Since construction at the Eagle Rock site — so nicknamed after a decrepit colonnade — first stalled in 2008, the only thing that accumulated faster than the garbage and graffiti were the epithets from outraged community members.
    — Ryan Steven Green, Los Angeles Times, 29 June 2026
  • The Chawla said multiple campaign road signs were vandalized with racial epithets in two separate incidents.
    — Carlos E. Castañeda, CBS News, 18 May 2026
Definition of epithets
Noun
  • Features saw a major uptick in production, logging a 52 percent year-over-year increase thanks, in part, to nearly a quarter of all filming in the category coming from titles receiving subsidies to shoot in the state.
    — Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 7 July 2026
  • Lionel Messi led Argentina on a late run of three unanswered goals against Egypt Tuesday, bringing the defending champions one step closer to winning back-to-back FIFA World Cup titles.
    — Mason Leib, ABC News, 7 July 2026
Definition of titles
Noun
  • The singer has among the most extensive trademark portfolios in the entertainment industry, with more than 170 active or pending registrations spanning names, phrases and commercial designations.
    — Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 2 July 2026
  • Spousal death changes nearly every part of an employee's life at once, from household income and health coverage to life insurance and beneficiary designations.
    — Christine Michel Carter, Forbes.com, 1 July 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 8 Jul. 2026.

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