Sobriquet

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Sobriquet" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (February 2024) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

A sobriquet (/ˈsoʊbrɪˌkeɪ, ˌsoʊbrɪˈkeɪ/ SOH-brih-kay, -⁠KAY) is a descriptive nickname, sometimes assumed, but often given by another. A sobriquet is distinct from a pseudonym in that it is typically a familiar name used in place of a real name without the need for explanation; it may become more familiar than the original name.

An example is Mohandas Gandhi, who is better known as Mahatma Gandhi ("mahatma" means "great soul" in Sanskrit).

The term sobriquet is equally applicable as a name for a person, group of people, historical event, or place. Well-known places often have sobriquets, such as New York City, often called the "Big Apple", or Rome, the "Eternal City" , or Vienna, the "Golden Apple".