as in nickname
a descriptive or familiar name given instead of or in addition to the one belonging to an individual Thomas Edward Lawrence is better known to most people by his byname, Lawrence of Arabia

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of byname Robert the Wise was a good teacher — and, as his byname suggests, a good role model. Anne Thériault, Longreads, 3 July 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for byname
Noun
  • Yet his ruthlessness is appreciated by his team-mates, who have given him the nickname El Tiburon (‘The Shark’).
    Pol Ballús, New York Times, 3 Apr. 2025
  • The countdown is on with Alex Ovechkin just 4 goals from overtaking Wayne Gretzky as the NHL's career goal leader – a mark that once seemed unsurmountable and earned Gretzky the nickname The Great One.
    Jim Sergent, USA Today, 2 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • It was confirmed by The Times of London that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle changed their surname to Sussex for the sake of their children Archie, 5, and Lilibet, 3.
    Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 8 Apr. 2025
  • This story has been corrected to show the surname of The Atlantic journalist is Goldberg, not Rosenberg.
    Zeke Miller, Twin Cities, 3 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • The test question for which Taylor was placed on leave included a quote from the text which had a racial epithet.
    Campbell Roper, Arkansas Online, 3 Apr. 2025
  • Lincoln Heights resident Eric Ruffin said at Tuesday night's village meeting that one of the demonstrators called him a racial epithet.
    Antonia Hylton, NBC News, 12 Feb. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Byname.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/byname. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.

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