so-called

[soh-kawld] / ˈsoʊˈkɔld /

ADJECTIVE

supposed

Synonyms

STRONGEST

alleged formal purported self-styled

WEAK

allegedly commonly named itular nominal ostensible pretended professed self-named soi-disant wrongly named

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Any sharp movement in stock price could trigger so-called circuit breakers that could pause trading.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 12, 2026

Several of those reports were associated with Anthropic’s Claude, which is often used to operate so-called agents —AI which can carry out multistep tasks independently.

From Barron's • Jun. 11, 2026

Many forecasts suggest this could end up as a so-called "super" El Niño, and even be among the strongest ever recorded.

From BBC • Jun. 11, 2026

The market’s expectations for capital spending among so-called hyperscalers in 2027 are way too conservative.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 11, 2026

I was the one who lit his cigarettes and listened as he denounced the careers of so-called pretty boys such as Glen Campbell and Bobby Goldsboro.

From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris

Vocabulary lists containing so-called

Booked

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The Losers Club

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We Are Displaced

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