- (n.) A common name, in distinction from a proper name. A common name or appellative, stands for a whole class, genus or species of beings or for universal ideas. Thus, tree is the name of all plants of a particular class; plant and vegetable are names of things that grow out of the earth. A proper name, on the other hand, stands for a single thing; as, Rome, Washington, Lake Erie.
- (a.) Pertaining to a common name; serving as a distinctive denomination; denominative; naming.
- (n.) An appellation or title; a descriptive name.
- (a.) Common, as opposed to proper; denominative of a class.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
| APA | Webster's. (2011). appellative. Retrieved September 21, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/appellative/definitions/1975095 |
| Chicago | Webster's. 2011. "appellative" http://smartdefine.org/appellative/definitions/1975095 (accessed September 21, 2026). |
| Harvard | Webster's 2011, appellative, Smart Define, viewed 21 September, 2026, <http://smartdefine.org/appellative/definitions/1975095>. |
| MLA | Webster's. "appellative" 27 May 2011. Web. 21 September 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/appellative/definitions/1975095> |