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pseudonym

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pseudonym¹

  • /ˈs(j)uː.də(ʊ).nɪm/ UK
  • /ˈsu.də.nɪm/ US
  • /ˈsu.doʊ.nɪm/ US

Where it comes from

Back-formation from pseudonymous, from Latin pseudonymus (adjective), from Ancient Greek ψευδώνυμος (pseudṓnumos, adjective), from ψευδής (pseudḗs, “false”) + ὄνυμα (ónuma, a dialectal form of ὄνομα (ónoma, “name”)) + -ος (-os, adjective-forming suffix). Alternatively, borrowed from French pseudonyme (“fictitious name”, noun), coined in 1834 from pseud- + -onyme (noun-forming suffix). By surface analysis, pseudo- + -onym (noun-forming suffix).

noun pseudonyms

  1. A fictitious name (more literally, a false name), as those used by writers and movie stars. The Reverend Charles Lutwidge Dodgson wrote "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" under the pseudonym Lewis Carroll.

    Similar: anonym, byname, to-name · Opposite: autonym, orthonym, alethonym

pseudonym²

  • /ˈs(j)uː.də(ʊ).nɪm/ UK
  • /ˈsu.də.nɪm/ US
  • /ˈsu.doʊ.nɪm/ US

Where it comes from

Borrowed from French pseudonyme (“pseudonymous”, adjective), from Latin pseudonymus (adjective), from Ancient Greek ψευδώνυμος (pseudṓnumos, adjective). By surface analysis, pseudo- + -onym.

adjective

  1. obsolete, of an author Pseudonymous (who uses a pseudonym). Thus, contrary to bibliographical rule, we have preferred to record the works of pseudonym authors—such as Eliot, Oliver Optic, etc.—under the adopted name which the author chooses to retain on the title-page.

Thesaurus

Closest in meaning: anonym, pseudonymous, nickname, name, anagrammatic, alias, assumed name, stage name, sobriquet, pen name, screen name, username, handle, byline, cryptonym, code name

Translations

Every language

noun fictitious name (more literally, a false name)

Españolseudónimo, pseudónimo
한국어익명 ingmyeong, 필명 pilmyeong, 가명 gamyeong
日本語仮名 kamei, 偽名 gimei, 変名 henmei, 雅号 gagō, 筆名 hitsumei, ペンネーム pennēmu
中文假名 jiǎmíng, 化名 huàmíng, 筆名 /笔名 bǐmíng, 藝名 /艺名 yìmíng
हिन्दीछद्मनाम chadmanām, तख़ल्लुस taxallus
Kiswahilijina bandia
Portuguêspseudónimo, pseudônimo
Françaispseudonyme, nom de guerre
DeutschPseudonym
Italianopseudonimo
Ελληνικάψευδώνυμο psevdónymo
Românăpseudonim
Русскийпсевдони́м psevdoním, вы́мышленное и́мя výmyšlennoje ímja
Tiếng Việtbiệt hiệu, bút danh, tên chữ, tên tự
العربيةاِسْم مُسْتَعَار ism mustaʕār

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MLA

"pseudonym." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/pseudonym. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

pseudonym. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/pseudonym

Chicago

"pseudonym." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/pseudonym.

BibTeX
@misc{pseudonym_2026,
  title = {pseudonym},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/pseudonym},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}