misnomer
noun
mis·no·mer
| \ ˌmis-ˈnō-mər
\
\
Definition of misnomer
1
: the misnaming of a person in a legal instrument
2a
: a use of a wrong or inappropriate name
Nowadays it is a misnomer to call a farmer a peasant.
b
: a wrong name or inappropriate designation
The name "Greenland" is a misnomer, since much of the island is covered by a massive ice sheet.
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Other Words from misnomer
misnomered
\ ˌmis-ˈnō-mərd
\
adjective
\
adjective
Examples of misnomer in a Sentence
“International Airport” is something of a misnomer, since almost all the arriving and departing flights are local.
Recent Examples on the Web
But that name is a misnomer since the planet is actually covered in gas, and whatever ice is below that is basically slushy. — Wired, "Space Photos of the Week: Tune Into Neptune," 31 Aug. 2019 Sensitive onlookers be warned: The title of the trek is no misnomer. — Doug Maccash, nola.com, "Eye-popping World Naked Bike Ride 2019 raises awareness, June 8," 5 June 2019 Despite whatever misnomers might exist, there is a great demand out there for mature workers,’’ said Mary Branagan, at Associates for Training and Development, a workforce training and development outfit headquartered in Vermont. — Andrew Soergel, BostonGlobe.com, "Seniors are more likely to work past 65 in big metro areas like Boston, data show," 10 June 2019 The description is a pretty misnomer for a springy patty of shrimp and scallops positioned near lacy crackers whipped up from little more than flour and oil in a hot pan. — Tom Sietsema, Washington Post, "Queen’s English brings Hong Kong’s sizzle to Columbia Heights," 17 July 2019 This year, Prime Day is a bit of a misnomer, because Amazon has extended it to two days of great deals. — Paige Szmodis, Popular Mechanics, "What You Need To Know About Amazon Prime Day," 12 July 2019 But in the 1920s, American physicians George Minot and William Murphy figured out that patients can simply be injected with B[12rich liver extracts, rendering pernicious anemia a misnomer. — Jon Wertheim And Jacob Feldman, SI.com, "The Incomparable Life and Mysterious Death of Suzanne Lenglen," 27 June 2019 The 13-year-old Grace is an uncommonly mature actor for her age, but to call her a scream queen would be a misnomer. — Katie Walsh, Detroit Free Press, "Annabelle’s back and she hasn’t lost her nasty touch," 25 June 2019 Keith said the description of state money backing the school at about $9 million annually is a misnomer because the money are taxes paid to the state by citizens all over the state. — Paul Gattis | Pgattis@al.com, al.com, "Huntsville council head airs concerns over cyber school," 28 June 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'misnomer.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for misnomer
misnomer
noun
English Language Learners Definition of misnomer
: a name that is wrong or not proper or appropriate
See the full definition for misnomer in the English Language Learners Dictionary
misnomer
noun
mis·no·mer
| \ ˌmis-ˈnō-mər
\
\
Legal Definition of misnomer
: the misnaming of a person in a legal document or proceeding (as in a complaint or indictment)
specifically
: the institution of proceedings against and service of process on the correct party using the incorrect name — compare idem sonans
Note: Amendment of the pleadings is generally allowed in cases of misnomer.
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