Linnaean nomenclature

noun

The current taxonomic nomenclature in biology, as governed by the ICBN, ICZN and ICNB, and which accepts the work by Linnaeus as a starting point (except for specified groups and ranks).

Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

nounLinnaean nomenclature (uncountable)
  1. uncountableThe current taxonomic nomenclature in biology, as governed by the ICBN, ICZN and ICNB, and which accepts the work by Linnaeus as a starting point (except for specified groups and ranks).

Origin

Introduced deliberately (c. 2000) by proponents of the PhyloCode as a pejorative term, to suggest age and obsolescence: a nomenclature due to be supplemented or replaced by nomenclature governed by the PhyloCode.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

Linnaean nomenclature. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Linnaean%20nomenclature

MLA

“Linnaean nomenclature.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Linnaean%20nomenclature. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Linnaean nomenclature,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Linnaean%20nomenclature.

Source: Linnaean nomenclature on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.