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Meaning of so-called | Babel Free

Adjective CEFR B2 Standard
ˈsəʊˌkɔːld

Definitions

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

Equivalents

Examples

“the so-called Ising mode”
“About 200 guests were invited and entertained to lunch in the so-called booking hall at Waterloo; the contractors, Spiers & Pond Limited, were much praised for organising the repast, with attendant cloak room facilities, so well in such unfavourable surroundings.”
“Another Canadian example is that of the so-called Halfback Program initiated in the province of Ontario. With this scheme state lottery tickets with which no prizes are won retain 50% of the value of their initial cost […]”
“... I hadn't met any straight women at the gay bars — a few so called "fag hags" fraternizing with the boys, of course, but ...”
“The Central Intelligence Agency on Tuesday became the first major national security agency to offer so-called buyouts to its entire workforce, a CIA spokesperson and two other sources familiar with the offer said, part of President Donald Trump’s broad effort to shrink the federal government and shape it to his agenda.”
“These so-called "assistants" are making our jobs harder, not easier!”
“[…]dawdling away the hours in the Park as if all the world and its millions of honest hard workers were created solely for the casual diversion of the so-called 'upper' classes,[…]”
“So-called Orthodox synagogues who organized mixed dances in order to raise money for various causes.”

CEFR level

B2
Upper Intermediate
This word is part of the CEFR B2 vocabulary — upper intermediate level.
See all B2 English words →

See also

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