Alter Ego
/ˌæl.tər ˈiː.ɡoʊ/noun
A second self or alternate persona.
Did you know?The phrase comes straight from Cicero, who used it to describe a trusted friend as a second self—long before it became the language of secret identities and split personas.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Latin
Latin
alter ego
“other self; a trusted second self”
1st Century BCE
Latin
alter ego
“Cicero's phrase for a close friend or trusted stand-in”
Late Latin
Latin
alter ego
“a second self or representative person”
17th Century
English
alter ego
“borrowed phrase meaning a second self or counterpart”
Modern English
English
alter ego
“an alternate persona or side of one's personality”