1. The verbal act of naming
   "the part he failed was the naming of state capitals"
    
2. The act of putting a person into a non-elective position
   "the naming had to be approved by the whole committee";
   - appointment, assignment, designation

1. Inclined to or serving for the giving of names
   "the naming faculty of children";
   - appellative

1. Give the name or identifying characteristics of; refer to by name or some other identifying characteristic property
   "Many senators were named in connection with the scandal";
   - identify
    
2. Assign a specified (usually proper) name to
   "They named their son David"; "The new school was named after the famous Civil Rights leader";
   - call, know as, be known as, christen
    
3. Mention and identify by name
   "name your accomplices!"
    
4. Make reference to
   "he was named in connection with the invention";
   - mention, advert [rare], bring up, cite, refer
    
5. Give or make a list of; name individually; give the names of
   "name the states west of the Mississippi";
   - list
    
6. Charge with a function; charge to be
   "She was named Head of the Committee";
   - nominate, make
    
7. Create and charge with a task or function
   "name a committee";
   - appoint, nominate, constitute
    
8. Classify or apply the appropriate name to, e.g. in botany or biology
   "The botanist named the new plant species";
   - identify, discover, key, key out, distinguish, describe
    
9. Determine or distinguish the nature of a problem or an illness through a diagnostic analysis
   "The doctor named the rare condition after a thorough examination";
   - diagnose

Derived forms: namings

See also: denotative, denotive

Type of: analyse [Brit, Cdn], analyze [N. Amer], appoint, canvass, charge, conclusion, constitute, decision, define, denote, determination, determine, enumerate, establish, examine, fix, found, have in mind, institute, itemise [Brit], itemize, label, limit, mean, plant, recite, refer, set, specify, speech act, study, think of

Encyclopedia: Naming