alias

1 of 2

noun

ali·​as ˈā-lē-əs 

ˈāl-yəs

plural aliases

: an assumed or additional name that a person sometimes uses

a fugitive using several aliases

John Smith, who goes by the alias Richard Jones

He checked into the hotel using an alias. = He checked into the hotel under an alias.

"My [gaming] alias when I was 18 … was Princess Peach," she [Bella Hadid] says with glee …

—Alex Frank

sometimes, specifically : a pseudonym (such as a pen name or stage name) that is associated with a person's professional identity

wrote the novels under an alias

Donald Glover, also known under his rap alias Childish Gambino, is an actor, writer, director, comedian and musician.

—Mark Warren

Vin Diesel, born Mark Sinclair, took on the tougher-sounding moniker as a bouncer in New York; the alias stuck as he transitioned into acting.

—Mae Ross

alias

2 of 2

adverb

: otherwise called : otherwise known as

—used to indicate an additional name that a person sometimes uses

John Smith alias Richard Jones

the outlaw William H. Bonney, Jr. alias "Billy the Kid"

Synonyms

Noun

• byname
• cognomen
• epithet
• handle
• moniker
• monicker
• nickname
• sobriquet
• soubriquet
• surname

Examples of alias in a Sentence

Noun

a fugitive using several aliases

a dressmaker whom everyone knows as “Bet,” her adopted alias in the dressmaking business that she named after Betsy Ross

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

But his emails… As vice president, Joe Biden used email aliases and private email addresses to communicate with son Hunter Biden and Hunter's business associates hundreds of times, according to new records released by the House Ways & Means Committee. —Fox News Staff, Fox News, 6 Dec. 2023

An influencer under the alias alicia_yourmortgagegal gave similar advice in another viral TikTok, calculating that homeowners could save $83,000, assuming a $300,000 home at a 6.5% mortgage rate. —Sydney Lake, Fortune, 25 Oct. 2023

Walker imagined a series of aliases all named after old sitcom characters (Archibald Bunker, Felix Unger, Sam Malone). —David Fear, Rolling Stone, 8 Nov. 2023

Zeitlin, who had been a Coach director since 2006, was then ousted because of allegations of past inappropriate behavior; in particular, one woman accused him of posing as a photographer under an alias in 2007 to lure her into a romantic relationship. —Phil Wahba, Fortune, 13 Oct. 2023

An alias email address is an additional email address that can be used to receive emails in the same mailbox as the primary email address. —Kurt Knutsson, Fox News, 29 Oct. 2023

Whether recording as Aphex Twin or under one of his less-famous aliases, James has a history of cherry picking sound effects from ’80s arcade cabinets and old-school computer games with his trademark ear for texture. —Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 25 Oct. 2023

Yet his use of an alias had the appearance of a criminal luxury, to the extent that it could have been said to be a form of cheating. —Rachel Cusk, Harper's Magazine, 10 Sep. 2023

Cofield and Rogers adopted aliases, like hip-hop m.c.s, incorporating the name of their crew. —Charles Bethea, The New Yorker, 28 Aug. 2023

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Word History

Etymology

Noun

noun derivative of alias entry 2

Adverb

Middle English, borrowed from Medieval Latin aliās (short for aliās dictus "at other times called"), going back to Latin, "at other times, in other cases, otherwise," from alius "other" + -ās, adverbial suffix (perhaps accusative plural ending, with noun vicēs "turns, times" understood) — more at else

First Known Use

Noun

1605, in the meaning defined above

Adverb

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing alias

• under an alias

• under an alias

Kids Definition

alias

1 of 2 adverb

ˈā-lē-əs,

ˈāl-yəs

: otherwise called : otherwise known as

John Doe alias Richard Roe

alias

2 of 2 noun

: an assumed or additional name

Legal Definition

alias

1 of 3 adverb

ˈā-lē-əs, ˈāl-yəs 

: otherwise called : also known as

John Thomas Nolan, alias Legs Diamond

alias

2 of 3 noun

: an assumed or additional name

alias

3 of 3 adjective

: issued after the original instrument has not produced any action

an alias tax warrant

an alias summons

compare pluries

Etymology

Adverb

Latin, otherwise, from alius other