- a misapplied or inappropriate name or designation.
- an error in naming a person or thing.
Origin of misnomer
Examples from the Web for misnomer
The wrestling worthy accessory is a bit of a misnomer—there is no cheekily exposed skin in this full-coverage contraption.Is the Facekini the Future of Beachwear?
August 23, 2014
But its title is a misnomer: The far-from-renegade Gay is a very good feminist.Roxane Gay: Not Such a 'Bad Feminist' After All
August 12, 2014
The sad thing is to see this misnomer being promulgated by gays themselves.In Gay Rights Fights, Bullies Love to Play the Victim
April 4, 2014
The phrase “kids for cash” is something of a misnomer, according to May.‘Kids for Cash’: Crooked Judge, Damaged Teens, and the Perils of Zero Tolerance
Ronald K. Fried
February 25, 2014
Part of the reason for the bid-ask gap stems from the fact that calling Miramax or MGM a "studio" is a misnomer.Why No One Wants Miramax
April 6, 2010
He scorned a dedication, that misnomer for gratuitous advertising.
We have excepted in favour of Little John, because he is great John, and his name is a misnomer.Maid Marian
Thomas Love Peacock
He admits that the term "colored" is a misnomer, and therefore meaningless.
When used in association with the arts of architecture and sculpture, it is essentially a misnomer.Wood-Carving
Yet Griffo left the Company of Death a misnomer, as far as he was concerned.The God of Love
Justin Huntly McCarthy
- an incorrect or unsuitable name or term for a person or thing
- the act of referring to a person by the wrong name
Word Origin and History for misnomer
mid-15c., "mistaken identification of an accused or convicted person," from Anglo-French, Old French mesnomer "to misname, wrongly name," noun use of infinitive, from mes- "wrongly" (see mis- (2)) + nomer "to name," from Latin nominare "nominate" (see nominate). For noun use of French infinitives, cf. waiver.