alter ego

noun al·ter ego \ ˌȯl-tər-ˈē-(ˌ)gō also -ˈe-(ˌ)gō \

|Updated on: 5 Jul 2018

Examples: alter ego in a Sentence

Editor's Note: Did You Know?

Definition of alter ego

plural alter egos

1 : a second self or different version of oneself: such as

a : a trusted friend

b : the opposite side of a personality

Clark Kent and his alter ego Superman

c : counterpart 3

a fictional character that is the author's alter ego

2 law : a person or entity vicariously liable for another (such as an agent)

… because the Cuban bank had not physically participated in the expropriation, it could not be considered an alter ego of the Government in the context of the Citibank case.
—The New York Times

See alter ego defined for English-language learners

See alter ego defined for kids

Examples of alter ego in a Sentence

a trusted adviser who is the President's alter ego
over the years the state's other senator became his alter ego as well as his political ally

Recent Examples of alter ego from the Web

This time, Helen’s alter ego Elastigirl gets to take center stage as part of a plan to prove to the world that superheroes should be made legal again.

— bryan bishop, The Verge, "Incredibles 2 director Brad Bird: ‘It’s really just a big popcorn film’," 14 June 2018
Gidget Galore, the well-known alter ego of Rich Kuntz, lifts a stereotypical Midwestern housefrau to something more interesting.

— matthew j. palm, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Review: Wanzie's Monorail Inferno - Fringe 2018," 14 May 2018
In the comics, Steve Rogers [Captain America’s alter ego] was a frail, sickly little human being.

— karen turner, Vox, "Avengers: Infinity War’s superheroes, explained by an evolutionary biologist," 27 Apr. 2018
On Thursday morning, the 20-year-old actor shared two Instagram selfies unveiling a dramatically darker hair color that instantly evoked fellow Riverdale cast member Lili Reinhart's black wig-wearing alter ego, Dark Betty.

— karina hoshikawa, Teen Vogue, "Riverdale Actor KJ Apa Shares Dark Hair Selfie on Instagram," 29 Mar. 2018
Her alter ego is named Sophie, who is based on a domestic worker in South Africa.

— sadé carpenter, RedEye Chicago, "'In Their Own Form' photography exhibition spotlights vision of Afrofuturism," 11 June 2018
Or to put it even more bluntly than Mueller: Donald Trump’s campaign chairman had a pawn of Russian intelligence as his indispensable alter ego.

— james hohmann, Washington Post, "The Daily 202: Why Bernie Sanders won’t join the Democratic Party," 7 June 2018
Suennen has embraced her alter ego, stamping it on her business cards and the nameplate outside her office door.

— rebecca robbins, STAT, "The gatekeeper: If you want to make it big in health care, it’ll help to get past Lisa Suennen first," 6 June 2018
Mark Salter, frequently described as McCain's alter ego, berated Rep. Paul Gosar, R-Ariz.

— yvonne wingett sanchez, azcentral, "McCain co-author: Rep. Gosar 'dumbass' over Cindy McCain talk; Gosar responds 'piss off'," 2 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'alter ego.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Did You Know?

In Latin, alter ego literally means "second I". An alter ego can be thought of as a person's clone or second self. A professional alter ego might be a trusted aide who knows exactly what the boss wants done. A personal alter ego might be a close friend who is almost like a twin. Alter ego can also refer to the second, hidden side of one's own self. In Robert Louis Stevenson's classic The Strange Case of Doctor Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Dr. Jekyll is a good-hearted, honorable man; but after taking a potion, his alter ego, the loathsome and diabolical Mr. Hyde, takes over his personality.

Origin and Etymology of alter ego

Latin, literally, second I

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1537

in the meaning defined above

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alter ego Synonyms

ALTER EGO Defined for English Language Learners

alter ego

noun

Definition of alter ego for English Language Learners

: a different version of yourself
: a close friend who thinks or feels similarly to the way you think or feel

Law Dictionary

alter ego

noun al·ter ego \ ˈȯl-tər-ˈē-gō \

legal Definition of alter ego

: second self; especially : a person or entity vicariously liable for another (as an agent)

had the officer been the alter ego of the corporation
—J. J. White and R. S. Summers

— compare instrumentality

Note: The concept of a legal alter ego is used primarily to hold the controlling parties of a corporation personally liable instead of limiting liability to the corporate entity.