misnomer

American  

[mis-noh-mer] / mɪsˈnoʊ mər /

noun

• misnomers
  plural

1. a misapplied or inappropriate name or designation.

2. an error in naming a person or thing.

---

misnomer British  

/ ˌmɪsˈnəʊmə /

noun

1. an incorrect or unsuitable name or term for a person or thing

2. the act of referring to a person by the wrong name

---

Commonly Confused

Misnomer is not a fancy, more elevated word for mistake. Nor is it a synonym for misstatement, misconception, or misunderstanding. As the word's Latin etymon nōmināre (“to name”) tells us, a misnomer is a special kind of mistake: a wrong name. The consequences of a mistake can range from trivial to catastrophic—from typos to train wrecks. But a misnomer is often just embarrassing, like trying to impress a friend by referring to a Burgundy wine as a “Bordeaux.” Sometimes, however, what began as a misnomer has become a standard term: the game of Chinese checkers does not come from China; the funny bone is a nerve, not a bone; hay fever is not caused by hay and is not a fever; and a pregnant woman's morning sickness can occur at any time of day. Other kinds of mistakes or misunderstandings—giving a driver wrong directions, thinking that the earth is flat, drawing an erroneous conclusion—are not misnomers. In fact, the word misnomer when used to describe a behavioral mistake or a misperception of reality is itself a misnomer!

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• misnomers
  plural

---

Etymology

Origin of misnomer

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English, from Anglo-French, noun use of Middle French mesnomer “to misname,” equivalent to mes- negating prefix + nomer “to name, call by name,” from Latin nōmināre; see mis- ¹, nominate

---

Explanation

A misnomer is a wrong or unsuitable name. It’s a misnomer to call your grandmother “Grandfather,” the same way it’s a misnomer to call a chair with four legs that doesn’t move unless you drag it across the floor, a rocking chair. From the Middle-French misnomer “to misname” evolved our English misnomer, a noun indicating a lack of fit when it comes to naming. Synonyms include, predictably, misnamed, but also mistermed and miscalled. You’ll notice the repetition of the mis- at the front of all those words. It comes from the French mes-, which means “wrongly.”

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

misnomer misnomers

But even the words "Britannia Shield" may be a misnomer.

From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026

Colin Clark, the director of the Soufan Center, a nonprofit that focuses on foreign policy and terrorism, pointed out in an interview with PBS that the term “narco-terrorism” is a misnomer.

From Salon ● Jul. 12, 2026

Calling Vanguard Wellington a 60/40 fund is inevitable, but also something of a misnomer.

From Barron's ● Apr. 3, 2026

“Neighborhood” was a misnomer for the area I scouted, car windows up and doors locked.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 25, 2026

That is a misnomer in that no such title existed, but the role he played was not so different from what the designation implies.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

To promote the university’s core mission, the school must clarify its role on campus and challenge misnomers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 17, 2026

Fire departments operated and financed by local governments increasingly have become misnomers.

From Washington Times ● Apr. 19, 2021

“There’s been a lot of misnomers about these craft as covert spy tools. ‘Drone’ has become a negative term.

From The Guardian ● Oct. 1, 2014

In the sentence, “The Daily Mail is now the most popular online newspaper,” the “most popular” claim is the least of the misnomers.

From Slate ● Feb. 3, 2012

After it was drafted, Laura typed it up while Yoyo stood by, correcting her mother's misnomers and mis-sayings.

From "How the García Girls Lost Their Accents" by Julia Alvarez

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---