1. In ancient Rome, the middle part of a citizen's name, indicating the family or clan.
Usage: historical; Latin term used in English historical and classical contexts
2. A name or designation; a term or appellation.
Usage: formal; rare in modern English; primarily used in academic or philosophical discourse

Examples

• In Roman naming conventions, the nomen identified which patrician family a person belonged to.
• Cicero's nomen was Tullius, indicating his family line.
• The philosopher used the term nomen to refer to the linguistic designation of an object.
• Ancient Romans took great pride in their nomen as it represented their ancestral heritage.