so-called adjective

/ˌsəʊˈkɔːld/

/ˌsoʊˈkɑːld/ adj [before noun]

Definition

•

used to show that you think a word that is used to describe someone or something is not suitable or not correct

It was one of his so-called friends who supplied him with the drugs that killed him.

•

used to introduce a new word or phrase which is not yet known by many people

It isn't yet clear how destructive this so-called 'super virus' is.

(Definition of so-called adjective from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

Synonyms and related words:

worried or nervous about something that is going to happen

Read our blog about how the English language behaves.

Find words and meanings that have just started to be used in English, and let us know what you think of them.