as in pseudonym
formal
a name used by a writer instead of the writer's real name
He wrote under a nom de plume.
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Recent Examples of nom de plume
Charlie Peacock’s stage name sounds like it was designed to be the nom de plume for a pop superstar, not someone who would become more renowned for his behind-the-scenes work as a producer, songwriter and label owner.
—
Chris Willman, Variety, 10 Feb. 2025
The premise was a fiction—the column wasn’t written by the editor but by the novelist Donald G. Mitchell, who wrote mostly under the nom de plume Ik Marvel.
—Christopher Carroll, Harper's Magazine, 2 Jan. 2025
In this sparkling novel, Cate Kay is just that: the nom de plume of a bestselling author who doesn't really exist, after a tragedy in her youth sent her on the run under a succession of different identities.
—Lizz Schumer, People.com, 27 Dec. 2024
Cindy Lee is the nom de plume of the musician and drag artist Patrick Flegel, who, back in the late two-thousands and early twenty-tens, fronted the Canadian post-punk band Women.
—Amanda Petrusich, The New Yorker, 2 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for nom de plume
Chris Willman, Variety, 10 Feb. 2025
The premise was a fiction—the column wasn’t written by the editor but by the novelist Donald G. Mitchell, who wrote mostly under the nom de plume Ik Marvel.
—Christopher Carroll, Harper's Magazine, 2 Jan. 2025
In this sparkling novel, Cate Kay is just that: the nom de plume of a bestselling author who doesn't really exist, after a tragedy in her youth sent her on the run under a succession of different identities.
—Lizz Schumer, People.com, 27 Dec. 2024
Cindy Lee is the nom de plume of the musician and drag artist Patrick Flegel, who, back in the late two-thousands and early twenty-tens, fronted the Canadian post-punk band Women.
—Amanda Petrusich, The New Yorker, 2 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for nom de plume
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nom de plume
Noun
-
Ellis took on several pseudonyms over the years, including Three-Six, the Spirit, Big Dotti, and Terror Child.—
Nina Corcoran,
Pitchfork,
10 Mar. 2026
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White nationalists at Charlottesville marched hoisting Roman flags, and far-right internet personalities adopted Roman pseudonyms.—
Chang Che,
New Yorker,
8 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The book chronicles the relationship between the Huckleberry Finn author (whose real name was Samuel Clemens) and his famed pen name.—
Carly Tagen-Dye,
PEOPLE,
30 Jan. 2026
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Before her death earlier this month, Madeleine Sophie Wickham, known by her pen name Sophie Kinsella, was known for creating stories full of wit, warmth, and bright, charming chaos.—
Lauryn Higgins,
Flow Space,
11 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Nom de plume.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nom%20de%20plume. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.
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