as in moniker
a name that is wrong or not proper or appropriate
"International Airport" is something of a misnomer, since almost all the arriving and departing flights are local.
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Recent Examples of misnomer
Rare earths aren’t particularly scarce in the earth’s crust — the name is a misnomer.
—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
26 May 2026
The misnomer has defined, and confined, the painter’s legacy in the nearly two centuries after her death.
—
Tessa Solomon,
ARTnews.com,
21 May 2026
The Heron Rookery name is a bit of a misnomer—the huge population of great blue herons that once nested here has moved on in recent years.
—
Robert Annis,
Midwest Living,
19 May 2026
This month, the medical community and affected patient population corrected the misnomer.
—
Adaira Landry,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for misnomer
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
26 May 2026
The misnomer has defined, and confined, the painter’s legacy in the nearly two centuries after her death.
—
Tessa Solomon,
ARTnews.com,
21 May 2026
The Heron Rookery name is a bit of a misnomer—the huge population of great blue herons that once nested here has moved on in recent years.
—
Robert Annis,
Midwest Living,
19 May 2026
This month, the medical community and affected patient population corrected the misnomer.
—
Adaira Landry,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for misnomer
Recent Examples of Synonyms for misnomer
Noun
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At first, the moniker was meant to represent Congo’s former Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba.
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Does the Democratic Party actually need to embrace the moniker of socialism, lean into it?
Noun
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Few figures are as synonymous with Mexican football as Aguirre, now in his third stint coaching the national team after being in charge for the 2002 and 2010 World Cups, but this co-exists with his El Vasco nickname.
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The law, passed in 2024, prohibits K-12 public schools from using any derogatory Native American term for athletic team mascots, names or nicknames.
Noun
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Contreras is Venezuelan, though, and this kind of nomenclature has been used by players for decades, regardless of race.
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Just stingin' the nomenclature.
Noun
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The more common nickname, El Mencho, is said to be a diminutive of his first name, Nemesio.
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Another gender-neutral name that had a burst of popularity in the ‘80s and ‘90s, Jamie was a go-to for girls or a diminutive of James for boys.
Noun
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Lula has argued the designation is inappropriate because the groups seek profit rather than political change.
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Long before Flagstaff earned its dark-sky designation, there was Lowell Observatory, established in 1894 and now a National Historic Landmark.
Cite this Entry
“Misnomer.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/misnomer. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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