so-called

American  

[soh-kawld] / ˈsoʊˈkɔld /

adjective

1. called or designated thus.

   the so-called Southern bloc.

2. incorrectly called or styled thus.

   so-called intellectuals.

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so-called British  

adjective

1. 1. (prenominal) designated or styled by the name or word mentioned, esp (in the speaker's opinion) incorrectly

      a so-called genius

   2. ( also used parenthetically after a noun )

      these experts, so-called, are no help

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Etymology

Origin of so-called

First recorded in 1650–60

Example Sentences

“Well, impart this to your so-called pupils. Tell ‘em to keep off my property.

From Literature

These products, which include so-called agents that can autonomously carry out complex tasks for users, have become all the rage in Silicon Valley, and even sparked a global stock-market selloff last month.

From The Wall Street Journal

The so-called Santa Ynez unit was under different ownership at the time.

From Los Angeles Times

But the weak results could spark fears about faltering AI demand at a time when so-called hyperscalers have pledged to spend hundreds of billions of dollars on the technology.

From Barron's

In addition to officials, a number of journalists inside the country have access to so-called "white SIM cards", which provide them with unrestricted internet supplied by the authorities.

From BBC

Related Words

• alleged
• formal
• purported
• self-styled