so-called

American  

[soh-kawld] / ˈsoʊˈkɔld /

adjective

1. called or designated thus.

   the so-called Southern bloc.

2. incorrectly called or styled thus.

   so-called intellectuals.

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so-called British  

adjective

1. 1. (prenominal) designated or styled by the name or word mentioned, esp (in the speaker's opinion) incorrectly

      a so-called genius

   2. ( also used parenthetically after a noun )

      these experts, so-called, are no help

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Etymology

Origin of so-called

First recorded in 1650–60

Example Sentences

Although messages from so-called number stations have been broadcast for decades, they are now less prevalent in the digital encryption age.

From Los Angeles Times

Late last year, he launched a so-called "affordability tour" in Pennsylvania but it has failed to get going in earnest.

From BBC

The fine arts have long struggled with a so-called graying audience, and have moved mountains to innovate in ways that keep the genres fresh in order to attract younger, excitable crowds.

From Los Angeles Times

He belongs to the so-called war generation—men who didn’t lead the revolution but tested their mettle in the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war.

From The Wall Street Journal

Anthropic is generally recognized to be at the forefront of so-called agents—AI which can carry out multistep tasks independently.

From Barron's

Related Words

• alleged
• formal
• purported
• self-styled