mononym
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of mononym
First recorded in 1880–85 as a technical term in the biological and medical sciences; mono- ( def. ) + -onym ( def. )
Explanation
A mononym is a one-word name, like Madonna or Socrates. These days, most mononyms are adopted by people who were given at least two names when they were born. Early in his music career, Prince Rogers Nelson decided to change his name to a mononym, and he became famous as Prince. Other celebrities are widely known by a mononym, despite no official change to a single-word name; this is common for athletes, Bollywood stars, and artists. Egyptian pharaohs, Biblical figures, and ancient Greeks all had mononyms (think Tutankhamun, Eve, and Homer). The word mononym derives from Greek roots, monos, "single," and onoma, "name."
Vocabulary lists containing mononym
Florida's B.E.S.T. Roots: nym
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nym
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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.
This is a polished, professional duo with mononym status.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 20, 2026
The singer, known by the mononym Mandisa, took home the Grammy in the best contemporary Christian music category for her record Overcomer in 2014.
From BBC ● Apr. 20, 2024
The “Hello” and “Someone Like You” singer also prefers her mononym to her full name: Adele Adkins.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 2, 2022
Born Iman Abdulmajid, Iman was 36 and had long since achieved both fame and mononym status when she and Mr. Bowie, 45 at the time, were married.
From New York Times ● Nov. 18, 2021
The film brings a more human understanding of a figure so noteworthy he has earned mononym status for the title.
From Washington Post ● Aug. 3, 2021
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
