so-called
Americanadjective
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called or designated thus.
the so-called Southern bloc.
-
incorrectly called or styled thus.
so-called intellectuals.
adjective
Etymology
Origin of so-called
First recorded in 1650–60
Explanation
When you say someone is a so-called pacifist, you are suggesting that they are a pacifist in name only. While they are busy making everyone talk about how peaceful they are, chances are they're also bombing villages to dust. Using the word so-called is a great way to point out systemic hypocrisy and is a much-beloved tool of street preachers and conspiracy cranks the world over. They might talk about our so-called democracy being in fact a sham, and our so-called democratic elections being rigged by forces beyond our control.
Vocabulary lists containing so-called
Booked
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The Losers Club
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We Are Displaced
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
If you don’t own a pair of so-called high-stack or max-cushion running shoes yourself, no doubt you’ve seen others wearing them, whether at the gym, on trails or just knocking about town.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 10, 2026
RT Diagnostics was set up in March 2021 with Shoukat and Mr Malik named among the directors, after the government invited private companies to help meet the demand for testing, including so-called 'Fit-to-Fly' tests.
From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026
It has been a logistics and supply hub for the Ukrainian military for much of the war and is part of the so-called "fortress belt" which troops are fighting to keep hold of.
From Barron's ● Oct. 8, 2026
Edwards reckons the so-called Asian contagion was “entirely predictable” as was the dot-com bubble of the late 90s in the U.S.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 8, 2026
I took off my so-called prize and pinned it on J.B., and he dashed away to admire himself in the hall-tree mirror.
From "The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate" by Jacqueline Kelly
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
