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Pseudonym has its origins in the Greek adjective pseudōnymos, which means “bearing a false name.” French speakers adopted the Greek word as the noun 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.
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
Madeleine Wickham, the author of the Shopaholic novels who wrote under the pseudonym Sophie Kinsella, died on December 10.
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Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 5 Jan. 2026
Most traders on prediction markets like Polymarket and Kalshi place bets under pseudonyms, not their real names.
—Bobby Allyn, NPR, 5 Jan. 2026
Volkan Yilmaz, a leather specialist operating under the online pseudonym Tanner Leatherstein, shares a similar view.
—Kati Chitrakorn, CNN Money, 29 Dec. 2025
Styles also made headlines earlier this year when he was photographed running the 2025 Berlin Marathon under the pseudonym Sted Sarandos (a play on the name of Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos).
—Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Dec. 2025
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Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 5 Jan. 2026
Most traders on prediction markets like Polymarket and Kalshi place bets under pseudonyms, not their real names.
—Bobby Allyn, NPR, 5 Jan. 2026
Volkan Yilmaz, a leather specialist operating under the online pseudonym Tanner Leatherstein, shares a similar view.
—Kati Chitrakorn, CNN Money, 29 Dec. 2025
Styles also made headlines earlier this year when he was photographed running the 2025 Berlin Marathon under the pseudonym Sted Sarandos (a play on the name of Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos).
—Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pseudonym
Cite this Entry
“Pseudonym.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pseudonym. Accessed 9 Jan. 2026.
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