Word
noun
US/ˈnaʊn/
UK/nˈaʊn/
Definitions
01grammar
A2 · Elementary Countable noun Grammar
n. a word that is the name of a person, place, thing, or idea.
n. a word that functions as the name of a specific object or set of objects, including people, places, things, or abstract concepts.
“In the sentence 'The cat sat on the mat', the words 'cat' and 'mat' are nouns.”
“The teacher explained that abstract nouns like 'happiness' or 'freedom' can be more difficult for students to identify than concrete ones.”
Usage
Nouns can be countable or uncountable and typically function as the subject or object of a verb.
Synonyms
02computing
C1 · Advanced Countable noun Computing Technical
n. an object on a computer screen that you can do something to.
n. an object within a user interface to which a specific action or transformation is applied.
“The software allows you to select a noun, like a file, and then choose a verb, like 'delete'.”
“Object-oriented design often focuses on the nouns of the system, representing the entities that the user will manipulate through various commands.”
03to make into a noun
C2 · Proficiency Grammar Technical
v. to change a word from another part of speech into a noun.
v. to convert a word from another category, such as a verb or adjective, into a noun.
“In some languages, you can noun a verb simply by adding a specific ending.”
“The tendency to noun verbs in corporate jargon, such as using 'ask' as a noun, is often criticized by style guides.”
Usage
This is a transitive verb, meaning it requires a direct object.
Synonyms
Real-World Examples
“In my previous essay, I wrote about nominalization — the deployment as nouns of words we mostly expect to encounter as verbs or adjectives.” “Take an adjective (implacable) or a verb (calibrate) or even another noun (crony) and...” Etymology
From Middle English noun, from Anglo-Norman noun, non, nom, from Latin nōmen (“name; noun”). The grammatical sense in Latin was a semantic loan from Koine Greek ὄνομα (ónoma). Doublet of name and nomen.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Related words
Domains
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.A2 KeyIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.3.0–4.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 2.0–2.524–43TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.225–549
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- A2 · Elementary
- Updated
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