pseudonym

noun

pseu·​do·​nym ˈsü-də-ˌnim 

: a fictitious name

especially : pen name

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Pseudonym, has its origins in the Greek word pseudōnymos, which means "bearing a false name." Greek speakers formed their word by combining pseud-, meaning "false," and onyma, meaning "name." French speakers adopted the Greek word as pseudonyme, and English speakers later modified the French word into pseudonym. Many celebrated authors have used pseudonyms. Samuel Clemens wrote under the pseudonym "Mark Twain," Charles Lutwidge Dodgson assumed the pseudonym "Lewis Carroll," and Mary Ann Evans used "George Eliot" as her pseudonym.

Synonyms

• alias
• nom de guerre

Examples of pseudonym in a Sentence

Mark Twain is the pseudonym of the American writer Samuel L. Clemens.

the most notorious serial killer of the 19th century remains known only by the pseudonym of Jack the Ripper

Recent Examples on the Web

For Jennifer, an Austin, Texas, resident who asked to go by a pseudonym for safety concerns, said the health care bans in her state threw her family into logistical and financial chaos. —Kiara Alfonseca, ABC News, 19 Apr. 2024

King’s Running Man, published in 1982 and written under the pseudonym Richard Bachman, was set in 2025 in an America under a totalitarian regime that uses violent game shows to placate the disenfranchised masses. —Borys Kit, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

French pseudonyme, from Greek pseudōnymos bearing a false name, from pseud- + onyma name — more at name

First Known Use

1817, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing pseudonym

• under a pseudonym

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Kids Definition

pseudonym

noun

pseud·​onym

ˈsüd-ᵊn-ˌim

: a fictitious name

especially : pen name