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Webster 1913 Edition
Misnomer
Mis-no′mer
,Noun.
[OF. pref.
mes-
amiss, wrong (L. minus
less) + F. nommer
to name, L. nominare
, fr. nomen
name. See Name
.] The misnaming of a person in a legal instrument, as in a complaint or indictment; any misnaming of a person or thing; a wrong or inapplicable name or title.
Many of the changes, by a great
misnomer
, called parliamentary “reforms”. Burke.
The word “synonym” is fact a
misnomer
. Whately.
Mis-no′mer
,Verb.
T.
To misname.
[R.]
Webster 1828 Edition
Misnomer
MISNO'MER
,Noun.
Definition 2024
misnomer
misnomer
English
Noun
misnomer (plural misnomers)
- A use of a term that is misleading; a misname.
- Calling it a driveway is a bit of a misnomer, since you don't drive on it, you park on it.
- 1994, Illinois. Appellate Court, Stephen Davis Porter, Illinois Appellate reports (page 257)
- […] plaintiff's misstyling himself as corporation in initial complaint constituted case of misnomer.
- A term that is misleading.
- Chinese checkers is a misnomer since the game has nothing to do with China.
- A term whose sense in common usage conflicts with a technical sense.
Usage notes
The term misnomer is sometimes used autologically as "something asserted not to be true; a myth or mistaken belief", as in the following example:
- It's a misnomer that engineers can't write.
Synonyms
Translations
use of term that is misleading
|
misleading term
term whose sense in common usage conflicts with a technical sense
See also
Verb
misnomer (third-person singular simple present misnomers, present participle misnomering, simple past and past participle misnomered)
- (transitive) To use a misleading term; to misname.