adj ·Uncommon ·Advanced level

Definitions

Adjective

1. 1
   So named; commonly called. not-comparable

   "the so-called Ising mode"

2. 2
   commonly called by such a name, but false or unfitting. ironic, not-comparable

   "These so-called "assistants" are making our jobs harder, not easier!"

Adjective

1. 1
   doubtful or suspect wordnet

Synonyms

All synonyms

affectedallegedapocryphalartificialassumedavowed

Example

More examples

"The scholar regards so-called compulsory education as useless."

Etymology

From so + called.

Related phrases

so-called dollar

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