nomenclature

American  

[noh-muhn-kley-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.

---

nomenclature British  

/ ˈnəʊmənˌkleɪtʃər, nəʊˈmɛnklətʃə /

noun

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

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nomenclative
  adjective
• nomenclatorial
  adjective
• nomenclatural
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• nomenclatures
  plural

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

nomenclature nomenclatures

Too bad about the clunky nomenclature, I mused.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 15, 2026

But as his nomenclature has become longer, the number of soldiers assembled for inspection has shrunk each year with embattled forces deployed to frontlines elsewhere.

From Barron's ● Dec. 23, 2025

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

My mom sure knew how to keep a secret, but she had a real lack of imagination for nomenclature.

From Salon ● Oct. 15, 2024

Contemporary observations are changing our understanding of planetary systems, and it is important that our nomenclature for objects reflect our current understanding.

From "Auggie & Me" by R. J. Palacio

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

The truth is that men refuse to come under the classifications of the pseudo- scientists, and all our new nomenclatures do not add much to our knowledge.

From The Complete Writings of Charles Dudley Warner — Volume 1 by Warner, Charles Dudley

Grammar with its puzzling array of classifications, nomenclatures, and paradigms, was wholly discarded in her education.

From The Story of my life; with her letters (1887-1901) and a supplementary account of her education, including passages from the reports and letters of her teacher, Anne Mansfield Sullivan, by John Albert Macy by Macy, John Albert