in name
5
6.5
- idiom
:
en nombre
- The title was given to him in name only, with no real power or authority behind it.
- only in name
Like you were a president in name only, right.
- Like you were a president in name only, right.
Examples
-
Its long-standing goal of unifying Vietnam was achieved in name only.
Academic text (1991) -
If judges do not follow the laws made by the elected branches of government, democracy exists in name only.
Academic text (1993) -
And often this is sort of in name and not as much in practice as you would expect.
-
Like you were a president in name only, right.
-
Sire, you are King in name only.
-
The next president is likely to be a Democrat in name only.
Blog text (18) -
There is a new class of homeowners in name only.
Blog text (2) -
Auditors were once "independent" in name only, which led to major problems in the financial markets.
Blog text (20) -
I'm tired of being a "Democrat" in name only and not being able to truly support the candidate.
Blog text (18) -
Many people in these countries—especially the poor—are thus citizens only in name and have few meaningful channels of political participation.
Academic text (2008)
Synonyms
13
6.7
In name only, not in reality
9
6.1
A title with no real power or duties
Antonyms
How Real
Surface Forms
Morphology
The components 'in' (indicating a state or position) plus 'name' (a label or title) provide a clear clue that the phrase concerns being a title or label rather than substance. However, the precise sense 'having the title but not the qualities or functions' is somewhat idiomatic and not fully predictable from the parts for a B1 learner without prior exposure, so it is only partially transparent.
Etymology
In name comes from the picture of a person's name on a door or paper while someone else does the real work. So, it means having the 'title' only, not the 'real duties' or 'power'.