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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
His heroes aren’t athletes or movie stars but anonymous Twitter accounts—anime avatars and pseudonyms with cryptic bios—whose followers track their trades with devotional intensity.
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Clara Molot, Vanity Fair, 17 Mar. 2026
The creator, who used a pseudonym, helpfully carved these guidelines on the stones in eight different languages.
—Aj Willingham, AJC.com, 17 Mar. 2026
Ellis took on several pseudonyms over the years, including Three-Six, the Spirit, Big Dotti, and Terror Child.
—Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 10 Mar. 2026
White nationalists at Charlottesville marched hoisting Roman flags, and far-right internet personalities adopted Roman pseudonyms.
—Chang Che, New Yorker, 8 Mar. 2026
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Clara Molot, Vanity Fair, 17 Mar. 2026
The creator, who used a pseudonym, helpfully carved these guidelines on the stones in eight different languages.
—Aj Willingham, AJC.com, 17 Mar. 2026
Ellis took on several pseudonyms over the years, including Three-Six, the Spirit, Big Dotti, and Terror Child.
—Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 10 Mar. 2026
White nationalists at Charlottesville marched hoisting Roman flags, and far-right internet personalities adopted Roman pseudonyms.
—Chang Che, New Yorker, 8 Mar. 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 19 Mar. 2026.
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