misnomer

American  

[mis-noh-mer] / mɪsˈnoʊ mər /

noun

1. a misapplied or inappropriate name or designation.

2. an error in naming a person or thing.

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misnomer British  

/ 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

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Commonly Confused

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!

Etymology

Origin of misnomer

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; see mis- ¹, nominate

Explanation

A misnomer is a wrong or unsuitable name. It’s a misnomer to call your grandmother “Grandfather,” the same way it’s a misnomer to call a chair with four legs that doesn’t move unless you drag it across the floor, a rocking chair. From the Middle-French misnomer “to misname” evolved our English misnomer, a noun indicating a lack of fit when it comes to naming. Synonyms include, predictably, misnamed, but also mistermed and miscalled. You’ll notice the repetition of the mis- at the front of all those words. It comes from the French mes-, which means “wrongly.”

Example Sentences

Around 2008, foundations began throwing money at Chris Elam and his Misnomer Dance Theater: $150,000 here, $1 million there.

From New York Times • Dec. 12, 2011

Chicago, Ill. Misnomer Because of the similarity of names, your error is understandable, but is, of course, regrettable.

From Time Magazine Archive

The 1795 edition changed the title to "The Misnomer."

From The Poems of Philip Freneau, Volume I (of III) by Freneau, Philip

Misnomer of Defendant—False Return, Etc.—An unattainable standard of accuracy is not imposed by the due process clause.

From The Constitution of the United States of America: Analysis and Interpretation Annotations of Cases Decided by the Supreme Court of the United States to June 30, 1952 by Corwin, Edward Samuel

Misnomer, misnō′mėr, n. a misnaming: a wrong name.

From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 2 of 4: E-M) by Various