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misnomer

[ mis-noh-mer ]

noun

  1. a misapplied or inappropriate name or designation.
  2. an error in naming a person or thing.


misnomer

/ ˌmɪsˈnəʊmə /

noun

  1. an incorrect or unsuitable name or term for a person or thing
  2. the act of referring to a person by the wrong name
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012


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Confusables Note

Misnomer is not a fancy, more elevated word for mistake. Nor is it a synonym for misstatement, misconception, or misunderstanding. As the word's Latin etymon nōmināre (“to name”) tells us, a misnomer is a special kind of mistake: a wrong name. The consequences of a mistake can range from trivial to catastrophic—from typos to train wrecks. But a misnomer is often just embarrassing, like trying to impress a friend by referring to a Burgundy wine as a “Bordeaux.” Sometimes, however, what began as a misnomer has become a standard term: the game of Chinese checkers does not come from China; the funny bone is a nerve, not a bone; hay fever is not caused by hay and is not a fever; and a pregnant woman's morning sickness can occur at any time of day. Other kinds of mistakes or misunderstandings—giving a driver wrong directions, thinking that the earth is flat, drawing an erroneous conclusion—are not misnomers. In fact, the word misnomer when used to describe a behavioral mistake or a misperception of reality is itself a misnomer!
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Word History and Origins

Origin of misnomer1

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English, from Anglo-French, noun use of Middle French mesnomer “to misname,” equivalent to mes- negating prefix + nomer “to name, call by name,” from Latin nōmināre; mis- 1, nominate
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Word History and Origins

Origin of misnomer1

C15: via Anglo-Norman from Old French mesnommer to misname, from Latin nōmināre to call by name
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Example Sentences

Beyond that, choosing the best gardening bench—something of a misnomer, because it’s more table than bench—comes down to your particular needs.

Among this rarefied group, ProPublica found, the term “individual retirement account” has become a misnomer.

Workers “at the Mercy of” TOSHA and EmployersWhen Stanberry was injured in 2016, TOSHA conducted what’s called a rapid response investigation, but the term is a misnomer, as it doesn’t involve sending an inspector to the site to interview workers.

To describe the Ivy as a “hotel” is something of a misnomer.

Colugos are also called “flying lemurs,” which is a misnomer because they cannot fly and they are not lemurs.

The wrestling worthy accessory is a bit of a misnomer—there is no cheekily exposed skin in this full-coverage contraption.

But its title is a misnomer: The far-from-renegade Gay is a very good feminist.

The sad thing is to see this misnomer being promulgated by gays themselves.

The phrase “kids for cash” is something of a misnomer, according to May.

Part of the reason for the bid-ask gap stems from the fact that calling Miramax or MGM a "studio" is a misnomer.

Yet the word vagrant is a misnomer in this city, where economy has reached a finesse that is marvelous.

The popular term in French and English of “medicine men” is not such a misnomer as might be supposed.

To speak of a Vee-Boer having household gods may seem a misnomer, since he never has a house.

Perhaps it was a misnomer for the party in favor of a broad national construction of the Constitution.

The Atlantic Ocean is geographically a misnomer, socially and politically a dwindling superstition.

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