nomenclature

American  

[noh-muhn-klay-cher, noh-men-kluh-cher, -choor] / ˈnoʊ mənˌkleɪ tʃər, noʊˈmɛn klə tʃər, -ˌtʃʊər /

noun

• nomenclatures
  plural

1. a set or system of names or terms, as those used in a particular science or art, by an individual or community, etc.

2. the names or terms comprising a set or system.

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nomenclature British  

/ ˈnəʊmənˌkleɪtʃər, nəʊˈmɛnklətʃə /

noun

1. the terminology used in a particular science, art, activity, etc

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nomenclative
  adjective
• nomenclatorial
  adjective
• nomenclatural
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• nomenclatures
  plural

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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

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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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

nomenclature nomenclatures

With tech leaders adopting the term, the US "may well be able to set the nomenclature," Paterson said.

From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026

Over the years, the nomenclature has changed—from nonalignment to strategic autonomy to multialignment—but the substance has remained the same.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 1, 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

And they agreed that having Aldama was essential to making the series, particularly when it came to depicting the cheer routines and getting the nomenclature right.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 7, 2025

“You are even more clever than I could have hoped,” Hector says, not bothering to refute or confirm her musings about his colleague’s nomenclature.

From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern

In 2021, the society announced the formation of an ad hoc committee to look into nomenclatures.

From New York Times ● Jul. 9, 2021

Various nomenclatures are used to derive names for amines, but all involve the class-identifying suffix –ine as illustrated here for a few simple examples:

From Textbooks ● Feb. 14, 2019

Government contracting firms are adopting new nomenclatures that create buzz.

From Washington Post ● Jul. 31, 2011

A second example of the confusion caused by the over-ready acceptance of these nomenclatures is afforded by the remarkable figure which stands in the north aisle of the Cathedral, opposite the Daniel.

From Donatello, by Lord Balcarres by David Lindsay, Earl of Crawford

You could not classify his library according to any of the accepted nomenclatures peculiar to the initiated.

From The Book-Hunter A New Edition, with a Memoir of the Author by John Hill Burton

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