正名

正名 is a key Confucian concept from 《论语·子路》 (Analects, Book 13). Confucius said that to govern, one must first "rectify names" - making sure that titles match reality (a ruler must act like a ruler, a father like a father). The phrase 名不正则言不顺 ("if names are not rectified, speech will not flow") comes from this passage.

usage

Modern colloquial sense is "to clear one’s reputation" or "to give the proper recognition to something previously misrepresented" (为...正名).