mononym

[ mon-uh-nim ]

/ ˈmɒn ə nɪm /

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noun

the name of a person who has or is known by only one name, usually a given name without a surname: Bajans know her as Robyn Fenty, but she is known in the rest of the world by her mononym, Rihanna.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of mononym

First recorded in 1880–85 as a technical term in the biological and medical sciences; mono- + -onym

OTHER WORDS FROM mononym

mo·non·y·mous

[muh-non-uh-muhs], /məˈnɒn ə məs/, mon·o·nym·ic

[mon-uh-nim-ik], /ˌmɒn əˈnɪm ɪk/, adjective

Words nearby mononym

monomorphic, monomorphism, Monongahela, mononuclear, mononucleosis, mononym, monopetalous, monophagia, monophagous, monophasic, monophobia

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use mononym in a sentence

Nonetheless, the pop provocateur that soap fans know by the mononym “Franco” has decided to unpack it.
James Franco and Scott Haze on 'The Sound and the Fury' and Gawker 'Outing' Them As A 'Couple'|Marlow Stern|September 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST

British Dictionary definitions for mononym

mononym

/ (ˈmɒnəʊˌnɪm) /

noun

a person who is famous enough to be known only by one name, usually the first name

Word Origin for mononym

C20: from mono- + (epo) nym

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012