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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
The plaintiffs, who used pseudonyms, asked the court for permission to file on behalf of all children who had lost gender-affirming care at the hospital’s TRUE Center for Gender Diversity, known as a class action.
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Meg Wingerter, Denver Post, 21 Jan. 2026
The homeless man, known by the pseudonym John, had been living in the basement of Brown’s Barus and Holley engineering building.
—Preston Mizell, FOXNews.com, 20 Jan. 2026
The denial came after the advocacy group Women’s Link Worldwide issued a press release saying the women, identified by the pseudonyms Rebeca and Laura, had filed a complaint with Spain’s Public Prosecutor’s Office of the National Court.
—Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 16 Jan. 2026
Most of the women will be allowed to testify anonymously by using pseudonyms for their first and last names, Caproni ruled in another favorable order for the government.
—Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 16 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pseudonym
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Meg Wingerter, Denver Post, 21 Jan. 2026
The homeless man, known by the pseudonym John, had been living in the basement of Brown’s Barus and Holley engineering building.
—Preston Mizell, FOXNews.com, 20 Jan. 2026
The denial came after the advocacy group Women’s Link Worldwide issued a press release saying the women, identified by the pseudonyms Rebeca and Laura, had filed a complaint with Spain’s Public Prosecutor’s Office of the National Court.
—Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 16 Jan. 2026
Most of the women will be allowed to testify anonymously by using pseudonyms for their first and last names, Caproni ruled in another favorable order for the government.
—Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 16 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pseudonym
Cite this Entry
“Pseudonym.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pseudonym. Accessed 26 Jan. 2026.
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