doppelgänger

noun

dop·​pel·​gäng·​er ˈdä-pəl-ˌgaŋ-ər How to pronounce doppelgänger (audio)
-ˌgeŋ-,
ˌdä-pəl-ˈgaŋ-,
-ˈgeŋ-
variants or doppelganger
1
a
: double sense 2a
said she had seen his doppelgänger
c
: a person who has the same name as another
2
: a ghostly counterpart (see counterpart sense 3a) of a living person

Did you know?

According to German folklore, all living creatures have a spirit double who is invisible but identical to the living individual. These second selves are perceived as being distinct from ghosts (which appear only after death), and sometimes they are described as the spiritual opposite or negative of their human counterparts. German writers coined the word Doppelgänger (from doppel-, meaning "double," and -gänger, meaning "goer") to refer to such specters.

Examples of doppelgänger in a Sentence

In the story, the character is haunted by a doppelgänger. at the mall today I saw someone who could be your doppelgänger
Recent Examples on the Web The internet named him a doppelganger for Gru, the lead character voiced by Steve Carell, and landed him for a TV spot with the Minions. Todd Longwell, Variety, 25 Sep. 2024 The idea is to reclaim her space within the industry via a pretty doppelganger. David Fear, Rolling Stone, 24 Sep. 2024 In the Emmys press room, Smith discussed his reasoning for making the reference to his name doppelganger. Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 16 Sep. 2024 The best known of the cycle is Charles Chaplin’s The Great Dictator (1940), where the comedian plays both a Hitler doppelganger (same body type, same moustache) and a Jewish barber. Thomas Doherty, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Aug. 2024 Your doppelganger cornering you in a lonely lighthouse. Anya Jaremko-Greenwold, The Week Us, theweek, 9 Aug. 2024 Starlight makes her peace (begrudgingly) with the fact that Hughie’s spent the last week screwing her doppelganger. Alex Raiman, EW.com, 18 July 2024 In Showtime’s 2017 Twin Peaks revival, MacLachlan reprised his role as FBI Agent Dale Cooper, as well as his dark doppelganger and Dougie, who was a tulpa created by the doppelganger to avoid returning to the Black Lodge. Glenn Garner, Deadline, 13 July 2024 All is not quiet on the marital front, as the wife asks for a divorce and the couple descends into a destructive cycle that not only includes infidelity and neglect, but spins into murder, a tentacled alien creature and doppelgangers. Borys Kit, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 July 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'doppelgänger.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

German Doppelgänger, from doppel- double + -gänger goer

First Known Use

1851, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of doppelgänger was in 1851

Podcast

Dictionary Entries Near doppelgänger

Cite this Entry

“Doppelgänger.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/doppelg%C3%A4nger. Accessed 15 Oct. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!