Nomenclature

 WORD OF THE DAY

nomenclature / noun / NOH-mun-klay-cher

Definition

1: name, designation

2: the act or process or an instance of naming

3a: a system or set of terms or symbols especially in a particular science, discipline, or art

3b: an international system of standardized New Latin names used in biology for kinds and groups of kinds of animals and plants

Examples

One of the worst mistakes a retailer can make is to build their own commerce ecosystem and then force brands into a system of nomenclature.

— Kristin Savilia, Forbes, 30 Aug. 2021

"Conkles Hollow, located less than two miles north of … the state park visitors' center, isn't technically part of the park…. But the nomenclature means little for visitors, who will find … myriad waterfalls along Conkle Hollow's two hiking trails." 

— Steve Stephens, The Lancaster (Ohio) Eagle Gazette, 19 Sept. 2021

Did You Know?

In his 1926 Dictionary of Modern English Usage, grammarian H. W. Fowler asserted that it was wrong to use nomenclature as a synonym for name; he declared that nomenclature could only mean "a system of naming or of names." 

It is true that nomenclature comes from the Latin nomenclatura, meaning "the assigning of names," but the name sense was the first to appear in English (it is documented as long ago as 1610), and it has been considered perfectly standard for centuries.