Autonym

//ˈɔdn̩ɪm// noun

noun ·Uncommon ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    An infraspecific name in which the specific epithet is repeated.

    "Near-synonym: type variety"

  2. 2
    A name used by a group or category of people to refer to themselves or their language, as opposed to a name given to them by other groups.

    "Deutsche is the autonym of the people known in English as Germans."

  3. 3
    The true name of a person or other entity, especially an author.

    "As a general principle, the heading of the main entry of the book should be in the form in which the book itself is published; that is, if it is published under an autonym let the autonym be given, if under a pseudonym, then let the pseudonym be given, and if the book be anonymous, then let the fact be stated."

  4. 4
    A work published under the author's true name.

Synonyms

All synonyms
alethonymendonymendonymorthonymselfnametype variety

Example

More examples

"Endonym (also autonym "self name") is a Greek/English word for a name that a people or country calls themselves or their language. Exonym (also xenonym "foreign name") is a Greek/English word for the opposite, or what a stranger would call someone else's country, people or language. Endonym means "inside name"; while exonym means "outside name"."

Etymology

From auto- (“self”) + -onym (“name”).

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.