Pseudonym
/ˈsuːdəˌnɪm/noun
A fictitious name used by an author or person instead of their real name.
Did you know?Pseudonym comes from Greek roots that literally mean “false name,” and the same deceptive root appears in words like pseudoscience and pseudepigrapha, where appearance is used to conceal truth.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
ψευδώνυμος (pseudṓnymos)
“bearing a false name”
Late Greek
Greek
ψευδώνυμον (pseudṓnymon)
“a false name”
19th Century
French
pseudonyme
“an assumed or false name”
19th Century
English
pseudonym
“an assumed name used by a writer or person”
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