nomenclature
Americannoun
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a set or system of names or terms, as those used in a particular science or art, by an individual or community, etc.
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the names or terms comprising a set or system.
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of nomenclature
First recorded in 1600–10, nomenclature is from the Latin word nōmenclātūra “a calling by name, list of names.” See nomenclator, -ure
Explanation
When adjusting to a new job, you may have trouble understanding the nomenclature, or system of naming things, in the workplace. Just remember: they’re "guests," not "customers," and they push a "purchase buggy," not a "shopping cart." The nomen- in nomenclature comes from the Latin word for name. Nomenclature is a system for giving names to things within a particular profession or field. For instance, you may have heard of binomial nomenclature in biology class. It applies to the way of referring to living things by two names, like calling humans Homo sapiens. Biologists all follow the same nomenclature so that they are easily understood by each other.
Vocabulary lists containing nomenclature
100 Words Every High School Graduate Should Know
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "N"
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The Namesake
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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.
Along Ventura County’s coast, locals have dubbed a geyser-like geologic formation the “Rincon Volcano,” but it appears also to be a case of inaccurate nomenclature.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 24, 2026
In light of that, the province pushed for -- and won -- "an exemption from the International Olympic Committee... because their nomenclature only included one name," Kompatscher said.
From Barron's • Feb. 2, 2026
The legal news website SCOTUSblog has also begun using interim docket as its default nomenclature, rankling some commentators who accused the site of adopting a term that plays down the real-world repercussions of interim orders.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 28, 2025
Reading through the ongoing debate about this nomenclature, it’s striking that what one group takes as totally obvious isn’t necessarily accepted by the other side.
From Slate • Apr. 12, 2025
Besides, there are always pet names to tide one over: a practice of Bengali nomenclature granting, to every single person, two names.
From "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri
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.
