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Synonyms

in name only

Idioms  

  1. Also, only in name. Nominally, not actually. For example, He's the chief executive in name only; his vice-president makes all the decisions, or Theirs was a marriage only in name; they lived on different continents. [Late 1300s]

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

It is especially a menace to anyone invested in securities such as longer-term Treasury bonds, which are “safe” in name only.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 11, 2026

When Gian Neglia took over as sporting director of the Las Vegas Lights in February, it was a team in name only.

From Los Angeles Times • May 7, 2024

But they’re likely to be Phillips delegates in name only.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 23, 2024

“It’s tenure in name only at this point.”

From Salon • Dec. 4, 2023

He seemed a druggist in name only; he more closely fit the prevailing ideal of the self-made man who through hard work and invention pulled himself rung by rung into the upper strata of society.

From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.