name
Americannoun
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names
plural
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a word or a combination of words by which a person, place, or thing, a body or class, or any object of thought is designated, called, or known.
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mere designation, as distinguished from fact.
He was a king in name only.
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an appellation, title, or epithet, applied descriptively, in honor, abuse, etc.
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a reputation of a particular kind given by common opinion.
to protect one's good name.
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a distinguished, famous, or great reputation; fame.
to make a name for oneself.
- Synonyms:
- eminence, renown, distinction, note
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a widely known or famous person; celebrity.
She's a name in show business.
- Synonyms:
- personality
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an unpleasant or derogatory appellation or expression.
Don't call your brother names! Sticks and stones may break my bones but names will never hurt me.
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a personal or family name as exercising influence or bringing distinction.
With that name they can get a loan at any bank in town.
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a body of persons grouped under one name, as a family or clan.
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the verbal or other symbolic representation of a thing, event, property, relation, or concept.
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(initial capital letter) a symbol or vehicle of divinity.
to take the Name in vain; the power of the Name.
verb (used with object)
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names,
present (3rd person singular)
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named,
past participle, past
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naming
present participle
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to give a name to.
to name a baby.
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to accuse.
He was named as the thief.
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to call by an epithet.
They named her speedy.
- Synonyms:
- denominate, dub, nickname
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to identify, specify, or mention by name.
Three persons were named in the report.
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to designate for some duty or office; nominate or appoint.
I have named you for the position.
- Synonyms:
- choose
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Name a price.
- Synonyms:
- mention
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to give the name of.
Can you name the capital of Ohio?
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to speak of.
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British. (in the House of Commons) to cite (a member) for contempt.
adjective
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famous; widely known.
a name author.
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designed for or carrying a name.
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giving its name or title to a collection or anthology containing it.
the name piece.
idioms
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name names, to specify people by name, especially those who have been accomplices in a misdeed.
The witness in the bribery investigation threatened to name names.
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call names, to scold or speak abusively of or to a person.
Better not to call names unless one is larger and considerably stronger than one's adversary.
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by name,
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personally; individually.
She was always careful to address every employee by name.
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not personally; by repute.
I know him by name only.
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to one's name, in one's possession.
I haven't a penny to my name.
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in the name of,
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with appeal to.
In the name of mercy, stop that screaming!
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by the authority of.
Open, in the name of the law!
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on behalf of.
to purchase something in the name of another.
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under the name or possession of.
money deposited in the name of a son.
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under the designation or excuse of.
murder in the name of justice.
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noun
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a word or term by which a person or thing is commonly and distinctively known
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mere outward appearance or form as opposed to fact (esp in the phrase in name )
he was a ruler in name only
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a word, title, or phrase descriptive of character, usually abusive or derogatory
to call a person names
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reputation, esp, if unspecified, good reputation
he's made quite a name for himself
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a famous person or thing
a name in the advertising world
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( as modifier )
a name product
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a member of Lloyd's who provides part of the capital of a syndicate and shares in its profits or losses but does not arrange its business
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using as a name
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for the sake of
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by the sanction or authority of
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to have heard of without having met
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anything that is essential, significant, or important
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expected or normal conditions, circumstances, etc
in gambling, losing money's the name of the game
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belonging to one
I haven't a penny to my name
verb
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to give a name to; call by a name
she named the child Edward
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to refer to by name; cite
he named three French poets
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to determine, fix, or specify
they have named a date for the meeting
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to appoint to or cite for a particular title, honour, or duty; nominate
he was named Journalist of the Year
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to ban (an MP) from the House of Commons by mentioning him formally by name as being guilty of disorderly conduct
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to reveal the identity of a person or organization guilty of illegal or unacceptable behaviour in order to embarrass them into not repeating the offence
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to cite people, esp in order to blame or accuse them
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to choose the day for one's wedding
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whatever you need, mention, etc
Synonym Usage
Name, title both refer to the label by which a person is known. Name is the simpler and more general word for appellation: The name is John. A title is an official or honorary term bestowed on a person or the specific designation of a book, article, etc.: He now has the title of Doctor. Treasure Island is the title of a book.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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namernoun
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undernamenoun
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renameverb (used with object)
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namableadjective
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self-namedadjective
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undernamedadjective
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well-namedadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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namesimple
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namessimple
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have namedperfect
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has namedperfect
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am namingprogressive
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are namingprogressive
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is namingprogressive
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have been namingperfect progressive
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has been namingperfect progressive
Past
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namedsimple
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had namedperfect
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was namingprogressive
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were namingprogressive
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had been namingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of name
First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English nama; cognate with German Name, Gothic namô; akin to Old Norse nafn, Latin nōmen, Greek ónoma, Old Irish ainm, Polish imię, Czech jméno
Explanation
Your name is what you are called: Bill or Jennifer or whatever. Parents name their children, and children name their pets. Most of us have our first given name and our family name or surname. But name is also used more broadly: people who have made a name for themselves are well-known. Someone who calls us names makes fun of us. If you do something wrong that others find out about, you could give yourself a bad name — hurt your reputation. Someone can be named in a lawsuit or named to a committee. Naming is about identity — who you are.
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.
See Examples For:
The 2.4-gigawatt Rooppur nuclear plant, a $13-billion project more than a decade in the making, has transformed the once sleepy nearby village of the same name, bringing Russian workers, new businesses and jobs.
From Barron's ● Oct. 7, 2026
Last year, Maye was the wonder child who could do no wrong; babies and dogs from Pittsfield to Providence were bequeathed his sturdy first name.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026
I will do my best to protect her name and get to the bottom of exactly what happened in Creeslough that day.
From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026
Year: 2014 Compiled by: Ben Blatt Of note: Every Declaration of Independence signatory is ranked here by how many square inches their name takes up.
From Slate ● Oct. 7, 2026
Under the law, doctors in the Philippines are required to report any cases of TB to authorities, including the patient’s name, address, family members, and place of employment.
From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly
Two other bankers have already had their names cleared.
From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026
Many of the names who dreamed up these wonders are now etched in design history.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2026
An early bull on some of the biggest names in tech and artificial intelligence, analyst Dan Ives has laid out his top sector ideas headed into 2027.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 7, 2026
A total of 287 individuals and organisations have been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, though the names on the list are kept secret for 50 years.
From Barron's ● Oct. 7, 2026
Fa had hardly ever talked about his family, but Torak knew their names, and where they’d come from.
From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver
Year: 2018 Compiled by: Noel Murray Of note: Accompanied by “The 10 Worst Family Games,” as well as myriad individual tributes to the games named on both lists.
From Slate ● Oct. 7, 2026
The deal welds two legacy Hollywood powerhouses, uniting franchises like Harry Potter and Game of Thrones, into an entertainment behemoth named Skydance.
From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026
Russian news outlet People of Baikal reported on Friday that the laboratory technician, whom it named as 28-year-old Darya Shipilova, may have contracted plague from a broken test tube.
From Barron's ● Oct. 6, 2026
A year and a half later, after his shrewd moves helped turn the Dodgers into World Series champions in 1988, Claire was named Major League Baseball’s executive of the year by the Sporting News.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026
I stopped a man on the street and asked him if he knew of a woman who lived there years ago named Anna.
From "Rump: The (Fairly) True Story of Rumpelstilskin" by Liesl Shurtliff
By naming the product of two mergers Skydance, David Ellison relegates two of Hollywood’s founding studios to a sub-brand stew and attempts to erase a bunch of controversial hires.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 5, 2026
A glossy video was shown during the event, with people speaking to and naming animated versions of their "dots," then giving them various tasks, like building a website and booking afterschool activities for their children.
From BBC ● Sep. 29, 2026
The German chemicals group said last week it had approached its smaller rival Evonik over a takeover, without naming a price.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026
One advantage of naming an entity like a professional trust company in this role is continuity.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 28, 2026
Their odd way of naming had spun Anya’s headaround for the first few days she’d known them, but now she couldn’t imagine calling them all Ivan and being able to keep them straight.
From Anya and the Nightingale by Sofiya Pasternack
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.
