proper noun

noun

Definition of proper nounnext
as in mass noun

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of proper noun YouTube Golf may not be an official subsection of the platform, but the rapidly growing genre has become a proper noun among viewers. — Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 23 Aug. 2025 Otter made three errors related to proper nouns but didn't place punctuation correctly several times. — PCMAG, 17 Mar. 2025 According to the current contract, which runs through 2029, Fox gets to claim the first three games off the Big Ten schedule (that’s where The Game, proper noun, keeps falling). — Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2025 Familiar proper nouns — Fuddruckers, Burger King, Coconut Grove, Sushi Sake — pack this week’s list of South Florida restaurants closed by inspection. — David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 22 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for proper noun
Recent Examples of Synonyms for proper noun
  1. common noun
  2. collective noun
Noun
  • Jacob believed that the capitalization of common nouns was an inorganic import and did away with it, a choice that inspired parodies in the German press.
    — Jennifer Wilson, The New Yorker, 4 Nov. 2024
  • But perhaps even worse is the alternate fashion of just using common nouns as names, for example, Rust, Ruby, and Scheme.
    — Stephen Cass, IEEE Spectrum, 5 Sep. 2023
Definition of common noun
Noun
  • Since then, flamboyances of flamingos—the collective noun for the birds—have competed with oranges to symbolize the state.
    — Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 6 July 2026
  • This collective noun was earned because owls' solemn expressions resembled elderly politicians debating in dark rooms, says Cassill.
    — Rae Ford, Martha Stewart, 26 May 2026
Definition of collective noun

Browse Nearby Words

properness
proper noun
proper nouns
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Cite this Entry

“Proper noun.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/proper%20noun. Accessed 9 Jul. 2026.

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