diff --git a/CHANGELOG b/CHANGELOG
index 2d46f5b..cadd9b4 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG
+++ b/CHANGELOG
@@ -2,6 +2,10 @@
 CHANGELOG
 *********
 
+Unreleased
+==========
+- Replaced the ``molecules`` argument with ``ligands`` in ``generate_lomap_network()``. Argument name ``molecules`` will be deprecated.
+
 2.3.0
 =====
 - Added shift option to MCS and cli (-s or --shift), this defaults to True.  In combination with threed/-3 this option
diff --git a/lomap/gufe_bindings/network_generation.py b/lomap/gufe_bindings/network_generation.py
index f3db6b7..c9edc9c 100644
--- a/lomap/gufe_bindings/network_generation.py
+++ b/lomap/gufe_bindings/network_generation.py
@@ -12,14 +12,14 @@
 
 from ..graphgen import GraphGen
 from .._due import due, Doi
-
+from ..utils import deprecated_kwargs
 
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
-
+@deprecated_kwargs(name_mappings={'molecules':'ligands'})
 @due.dcite(Doi("https://doi.org/10.1007/s10822-013-9678-y"), description="LOMAP")
 def generate_lomap_network(
-        molecules: list[gufe.SmallMoleculeComponent],
+        ligands: list[gufe.SmallMoleculeComponent],
         mappers: Union[AtomMapper, list[AtomMapper]],
         scorer: Callable,
         distance_cutoff: float = 0.4,
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ def generate_lomap_network(
 
     Parameters
     ----------
-    molecules : list[SmallMoleculeComponent]
+    ligands : list[SmallMoleculeComponent]
        molecules to map
     mappers : list[AtomMapper] or AtomMapper
        one or more Mapper functions to use to propose edges
@@ -67,17 +67,17 @@ def generate_lomap_network(
     if isinstance(mappers, gufe.AtomMapper):
         mappers = [mappers]
     if actives is None:
-        actives = [False] * len(molecules)
+        actives = [False] * len(ligands)
 
     # gen n x n mappings with scores
     # initially all zero scores, i.e. impossible
-    mtx = np.zeros((len(molecules), len(molecules)), dtype=float)
+    mtx = np.zeros((len(ligands), len(ligands)), dtype=float)
     # np array of mappings
     mps = np.zeros_like(mtx, dtype=object)
 
-    # for all combinations of molecules
-    for i, j in itertools.combinations(range(len(molecules)), 2):
-        mA, mB = molecules[i], molecules[j]
+    # for all combinations of ligands
+    for i, j in itertools.combinations(range(len(ligands)), 2):
+        mA, mB = ligands[i], ligands[j]
 
         # pick best score across all mappings from all mappings
         best_mp: Optional[LigandAtomMapping] = None
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ def generate_lomap_network(
 
     gg = GraphGen(score_matrix=mtx,
                   ids=list(range(mtx.shape[0])),
-                  names=[m.name for m in molecules],
+                  names=[m.name for m in ligands],
                   max_path_length=max_path_length,
                   actives=actives,
                   max_dist_from_active=max_dist_from_active,
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ def generate_lomap_network(
 
     ln = LigandNetwork(
         edges=[mps[i, j] for i, j in n.edges],
-        nodes=molecules,
+        nodes=ligands,
     )
 
     return ln
diff --git a/lomap/tests/test_new_api.py b/lomap/tests/test_new_api.py
index 68043da..a2f4550 100644
--- a/lomap/tests/test_new_api.py
+++ b/lomap/tests/test_new_api.py
@@ -29,10 +29,21 @@ def basic():
 
 
 def test_generate_network_smoketest(basic):
-    network = lomap.generate_lomap_network(
-        molecules=basic,
-        mappers=lomap.LomapAtomMapper(),
-        scorer=lomap.default_lomap_score,
-    )
-
-    assert isinstance(network, gufe.LigandNetwork)
+    with pytest.deprecated_call(match="'molecules' is deprecated, please use 'ligands'"):
+        network = lomap.generate_lomap_network(
+            molecules=basic,
+            mappers=lomap.LomapAtomMapper(),
+            scorer=lomap.default_lomap_score,
+        )
+
+        assert isinstance(network, gufe.LigandNetwork)
+
+
+def test_overdefined_deprecated_generate_network(basic):
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="Both 'molecules' and 'ligands' are defined"):
+        lomap.generate_lomap_network(
+            molecules=basic,
+            ligands=basic,
+            mappers=lomap.LomapAtomMapper(),
+            scorer=lomap.default_lomap_score,
+        )
diff --git a/lomap/utils.py b/lomap/utils.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4f4f66a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lomap/utils.py
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+import functools
+import warnings
+from typing import Any, Callable, Dict
+
+
+def rename_kwargs(
+    func_name: str, kwargs: Dict[str, Any], name_mappings: Dict[str, str]
+):
+    """Helper function for deprecating function arguments."""
+    for old_name, new_name in name_mappings.items():
+        deprecation_msg = (
+            f"{func_name} argument '{old_name}' is deprecated, please use '{new_name}' instead.",
+        )
+        if old_name in kwargs:
+            if new_name in kwargs:
+                raise ValueError(
+                    f"Both '{old_name}' and '{new_name}' are defined for {func_name}."
+                    + f"'{old_name}' is deprecated, please use '{new_name}' instead."
+                )
+
+            else:
+                warnings.warn(deprecation_msg, DeprecationWarning)
+                kwargs[new_name] = kwargs.pop(old_name)
+    return kwargs
+
+
+def deprecated_kwargs(name_mappings: Dict[str, str]) -> Callable:
+    """Decorator for deprecating keyword arguments
+
+    e.g.
+    @deprecated_kwarg({'old_arg':'new_arg'})
+    def my_function(new_arg)
+        ...
+    """
+
+    def decorator(func: Callable) -> Callable:
+        @functools.wraps(func)
+        def wrapper(*args: Any, **kwargs: Any):
+            kwargs = rename_kwargs(
+                func_name=func.__name__, kwargs=kwargs, name_mappings=name_mappings
+            )
+            return func(*args, **kwargs)
+
+        return wrapper
+
+    return decorator