a familiar name for a person (often a shortened version of a person's given name); "Joe's mother would not use his nickname and always called him Joseph"; "Henry's nickname was Slim"
Used in a Sentence
cognomen
How to use cognomen in a sentence. Example sentences and definitions for cognomen.
Editorial note
I wanted to know where the idea that it's common to view the cognomen as a surname came from.
Examples4
Definitions2
Parts of speech1
Quick take
a familiar name for a person (often a shortened version of a person's given name); "Joe's mother would not use his nickname and always called him Joseph"; "Henry's nickname was Slim"
Meaning at a glance
The clearest senses and uses of cognomen gathered in one view.
the name used to identify the members of a family (as distinguished from each member's given name)
Definitions
Core meanings and parts of speech for cognomen.
noun
a familiar name for a person (often a shortened version of a person's given name); "Joe's mother would not use his nickname and always called him Joseph"; "Henry's nickname was Slim"
See also: nickname, moniker, sobriquet, soubriquet, byname
noun
the name used to identify the members of a family (as distinguished from each member's given name)
See also: surname
Example sentences
I wanted to know where the idea that it's common to view the cognomen as a surname came from.
OK, well, I am taking cognomen as surname, as is common when referring to him today, by nomen + cognomen.
It is like a nickname in that it is not assigned at birth and in that you have the option of referring to someone by cognomen or not.
The cognomen is what you as a modern Westerner would think of as a name -- it is the only part of a Roman name that identifies the person.
Frequently asked questions
Short answers drawn from the clearest meanings and examples for this word.
How do you use cognomen in a sentence?
I wanted to know where the idea that it's common to view the cognomen as a surname came from.
What does cognomen mean?
a familiar name for a person (often a shortened version of a person's given name); "Joe's mother would not use his nickname and always called him Joseph"; "Henry's nickname was Slim"
What part of speech is cognomen?
cognomen is commonly used as noun.