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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
Prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memo that Harris took steps to conceal ordering steroids by arranging for packages to be delivered to a pseudonym at another address, and said his false application for a home loan — all while employed as a police officer — compounds his criminal responsibility.
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Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 12 Jan. 2026
Musa is a pseudonym, used to protect the lawyer’s identity.
—Paul Tilsley, FOXNews.com, 8 Jan. 2026
Madeleine Wickham, the author of the Shopaholic novels who wrote under the pseudonym Sophie Kinsella, died on December 10.
—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
See All Example Sentences for pseudonym
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Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 12 Jan. 2026
Musa is a pseudonym, used to protect the lawyer’s identity.
—Paul Tilsley, FOXNews.com, 8 Jan. 2026
Madeleine Wickham, the author of the Shopaholic novels who wrote under the pseudonym Sophie Kinsella, died on December 10.
—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
See All Example Sentences for pseudonym
Cite this Entry
“Pseudonym.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pseudonym. Accessed 18 Jan. 2026.
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