in the name of

Idioms  

1. By the authority of, as in Open up, in the name of the law! [Late 1300s]

2. On behalf of, as in She made a donation in her daughter's name . [Late 1300s]

3. ; . With appeal to, as in In the name of God, stop that noise! or What in heaven's name are you doing? [c. a.d. 900]

4. Under the designation of, as in They burned witches at the stake in the name of piety . [Late 1300s]

5. Under the possession or ownership of, as in The certificate of ownership was rightfully in my name . [Mid-1900s]

6. in one's own name . On one's own behalf, as in Mary signed the check for John in her own name . [Late 1800s]

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Example Sentences

Leah responded, “In the name of common sense, how did they happen to be there, nearly six feet beneath the cellar bottom?”

From Literature

In the name of curiosity, people knocked down fences, flattened peppermint beds, even climbed in David’s windows.

From Literature

“The more he stretches the truth in the name of the sale, the more desperate he becomes. Once inside our living room, however, he is far more malignant than any of that.”

From Slate

“In the name of exploration, I would do all those things and much more . . . were it not for the bit involving swimming.”

From Literature

He cleared his throat and said, “What in the name of heaven is that?”

From Literature

Related Words

• through