in the name of
Idioms-
By the authority of, as in Open up, in the name of the law! [Late 1300s]
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On behalf of, as in She made a donation in her daughter's name . [Late 1300s]
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; . 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]
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Under the designation of, as in They burned witches at the stake in the name of piety . [Late 1300s]
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Under the possession or ownership of, as in The certificate of ownership was rightfully in my name . [Mid-1900s]
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in one's own name . On one's own behalf, as in Mary signed the check for John in her own name . [Late 1800s]
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.
I am sure this is not the first time you have heard of a sibling who wants to, and claims to, take it all in the name of care for the parents.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 6, 2026
But when you watch it a second time after you’ve seen the finale, you realize that there’s guilt there as well because of what she did to him, all in the name of her son.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 5, 2026
"We cannot discount the deployment of combat assets in the area in the name of training the Laotian air force."
From Barron's ● Oct. 2, 2026
Warsh said guidance in normal times “risks creating ambiguity in the name of clarity,” and that quasi-commitments on rates “inhibit our own freedom to make the right calls when it’s time to decide.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026
“Stop in the name of the law!” he bellowed.
From "A Long Way from Chicago" by Richard Peck
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.
