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cognomen

noun
cog·​no·​men | \ käg-ˈnō-mən How to pronounce cognomen (audio) , ˈkäg-nə- How to pronounce cognomen (audio) \
plural cognomens or cognomina\ käg-​ˈnä-​mə-​nə How to pronounce cognomina (audio) , -​ˈnō-​ \

Definition of cognomen

1 : surname especially : the third of the usually three names of an ancient Roman — compare nomen, praenomen
2 : name especially : a distinguishing nickname or epithet
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Other Words from cognomen

cognominal \ käg-​ˈnä-​mə-​nᵊl How to pronounce cognominal (audio) \ adjective

Examples of cognomen in a Sentence

richly deserved the cognomen of “Butterfingers” “Christopher Columbus” is the Latinized cognomen of the navigator who was known to his Spanish crewmates as Cristóbal Colón

Recent Examples on the Web

 Denmark, Iceland, Hungary and Saudi Arabia also enforce specific naming conventions where common American cognomens might not make the cut. — Caroline Picard, Good Housekeeping, "10 Surprising Baby Names Banned in Other Countries," 26 Sep. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'cognomen.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of cognomen

1691, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for cognomen

Latin, irregular from co- + nomen name — more at name

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More from Merriam-Webster on cognomen

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with cognomen

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for cognomen

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about cognomen

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