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
-
In December 2023, a new suit was filed by plaintiffs Jane Doe, a Kentucky woman using a pseudonym to conceal her identity, Planned Parenthood and the ACLU, against the Office of the Commonwealth's Attorney.—
Marina Johnson,
Louisville Courier Journal,
2 Sep. 2025
-
His repertoire is now expanding with The Long Walk, an adaptation of Stephen King’s 1979 science-fiction/horror novel—the writer’s first, published under the pseudonym Richard Bachman.—
Air Mail,
Air Mail,
30 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
The artists tend to be reluctant influencers; many use pen names, and almost all prefer to use illustrations to depict themselves publicly.—
Matt Alt,
New Yorker,
25 Aug. 2025
-
His third and current pen name is evidence of him fulfilling that debt to himself.—
Elise Brisco,
Rolling Stone,
22 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Nom de plume.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nom%20de%20plume. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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