Misnomer
WordNet
noun
(1) An incorrect or unsuitable name
WiktionaryText
Etymology
From , noun use of Anglo-Norman and verb , from + (from ).
Noun
- A use of a term asserted to be misleading.
- Calling it a driveway is a bit of a misnomer, since you don't drive on it, you park on it.
- A term asserted to be widely used incorrectly.
- Chinese checkers is a misnomer since the game has nothing to do with China.
- A term whose sense in common usage conflicts with a technical sense.
Usage notes
The term is sometimes used autologically as misnomer of "something asserted not to be true; a myth or mistaken belief", as in the following example:
- It's a misnomer that engineers can't write.