onomastics

[ on-uh-mas-tiks ]
See synonyms for onomastics on Thesaurus.com
noun(used with a singular verb)
  1. the study of the origin, history, and use of proper names.

Origin of onomastics

1
First recorded in 1930–35; see origin at onomastic, -ics

Other words from onomastics

  • on·o·mas·ti·cian [on-uh-muh-stish-uhn], /ˌɒn ə məˈstɪʃ ən/, noun

Words Nearby onomastics

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

British Dictionary definitions for onomastics

onomastics

/ (ˌɒnəˈmæstɪks) /


noun
  1. (functioning as singular) the study of proper names, esp of their origins

  2. (functioning as singular or plural) a systematization of the facts about how proper names are formed in a given language

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