rhizoverbBeta
DictionarymisnomerInaccurate name
noun

misnomer

mis-NOH-mer/ˌmɪsˈnəʊmər/

An inaccurate or misleading name or term.

The plaque's name 'koala bear' is a misnomer because the animal is not a bear.

A recognizable koala perched on a eucalyptus branch beside a small identification plaque reading “KOALA BEAR.” The familiar but taxonomically misleading name supplies the misnomer; the animal is plainly a koala, not a bear.
Etymology
misOld Frenchwrongly
+nomerOld Frenchto name

The pieces mean “to name wrongly,” an expression used as a noun in legal language for mistaken identification. Its application broadened to wrong designations generally, connecting it to an inaccurate or misleading name.

In context

TED8:14
most of the phones there are not second-hand at all. The name is a misnomer. Most of them are pirated.
Robert Neuwirth: The power of the informal economy

More examples

  • Calling this tiny room a suite is a misnomer.
  • “Silent mode” is a misnomer because the machine still hums.
  • The report corrects several misnomers in the older maps.

Forms

misnomer · misnomers

misname verb — To give an incorrect name to.

Similar words

mislabeling
Emphasizes applying an incorrect label rather than the name itself.
misdescription
Covers inaccurate descriptions generally, not just names or terms.