alter ego
noun
The New York Times
Did you know?
In Latin, alter ego literally means "second I". An alter ego can be thought of as a person's clone or second self. A professional alter ego might be a trusted aide who knows exactly what the boss wants done. A personal alter ego might be a close friend who is almost like a twin. Alter ego can also refer to the second, hidden side of one's own self. In Robert Louis Stevenson's classic The Strange Case of Doctor Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Dr. Jekyll is a good-hearted, honorable man; but after taking a potion, his alter ego, the loathsome and diabolical Mr. Hyde, takes over his personality.
Synonyms
Examples of alter ego in a Sentence
Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 6 Apr. 2024
The loss of Eileen and return of the self-pitying Orwell alter ego are certainly linked.
—Stephen Metcalf, The Atlantic, 5 Apr. 2024
Henson’s vision spawned countless keepsake moments, where mingling with fans while alternating between Hugo and his alter ego, Super Hugo, is a common occurrence.
—Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 28 Mar. 2024
And The Spiders From Mars, and the many U.K. radio sessions and TV appearances Bowie’s famous alter ego participated in.
—Angie Martoccio, Rolling Stone, 21 Mar. 2024
Brendan Morrow Idina Menzel is wishing a very happy birthday to her Academy Awards alter ego.
—USA TODAY, 4 Mar. 2024
Anya’s Spider-Woman alter ego is named Araña, and due to Cassie’s clairvoyant visions, Merced, along with Johnson, Sydney Sweeney and Celeste O’Connor, had to perform multiple different versions of scenes in order to account for the potential future and reality of each sequence.
—Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Feb. 2024
Kittle talked about his fondness for wrestling and alter egos, with one arm tattooed with good guys and one with bad guys.
—Jerry McDonald, The Mercury News, 11 Feb. 2024
In a desperate bid to hold Silvie’s attention, Amato reinvented himself online, crafting a confident, big spender alter ego by stealing $200,000 from his family in the months leading up to the murders.
—Addie Morfoot, Variety, 19 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'alter ego.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
borrowed from Latin alter egō "close friend," literally "other I," perhaps as translation of Greek állos egṓ, héteros egṓ
Note: Cf. M. Tullius cicero, Letters to Atticus 3.15.4.: "… me enim ipsum multo magis accuso, deinde te quasi me alterum et simul meae culpae socium quaero." ("I am reproaching myself far more than you, and if I do reproach you it is as my alter ego; also I am looking for someone to share the blame" - translation by D. R. Shackleton Bailey.)
1537, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Articles Related to alter ego
Dictionary Entries Near alter ego
Cite this Entry
“Alter ego.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/alter%20ego. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
alter ego
noun
Legal Definition
alter ego
noun
J. J. White and R. S. Summers Note: The concept of a legal alter ego is used primarily to hold the controlling parties of a corporation personally liable instead of limiting liability to the corporate entity.
Latin, literally, second I
More from Merriam-Webster on alter ego
Nglish: Translation of alter ego for Spanish Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about alter ego
Share