pseudonymous
Americanadjective
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bearing a false or fictitious name.
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writing or written under a fictitious name.
adjective
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having or using a false or assumed name
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writing or having been written under a pseudonym
Usage
What does pseudonymous mean? Pseudonymous means having, using, or written under a pseudonym—a false or fictitious name, especially one used by an author. The word is often used to describe a person who uses a pseudonym, as in the pseudonymous artist, or something attributed to a false name, as in her pseudonymous novels. When an author uses a pseudonym, it can also be called a pen name or a nom de plume. There are many reasons an author may choose to publish pseudonymously instead of under their own name, such as to avoid controversy or to create a persona. Many women authors throughout history have used a male or gender-neutral pseudonym to get their work published due to bias against women writers. A famous example is Mary Ann Evans, who used the pseudonym George Eliot. The word pseudonym can refer to a fake or false name used by anyone, not just writers. It’s typically used so a person can remain anonymous. In legal proceedings, the pseudonymous titles John Doe, Jane Doe, Richard Roe, and Jane Roe are used in cases when a person’s name is being kept anonymous. Such names can also be called anonyms. Example: It’s sometimes hard to tell whether pseudonymous posts are published by bots or real people.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of pseudonymous
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The ads featured pseudonymous home economist Sue Swanson, who promised that you purchased three TV Dinners and sent back the wrappers, Swanson would promptly mail you a “big silver dollar.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 12, 2026
Finally, the hosts delve into the New York Times’ quest to uncover the mysterious creator of Bitcoin, the pseudonymous Satoshi Nakamoto, and argue over the investigation’s conclusion.
From Slate ● Apr. 11, 2026
Some platforms use U.S. dollars, while others rely on blockchain infrastructure and stablecoins—enabling trade that is fast, global and pseudonymous.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 26, 2026
On its website, it says the project has been founded and developed by "a pseudonymous collective" based across "multiple jurisdictions".
From BBC ● Nov. 28, 2025
Posthumous works, works the property of the Crown, photographs and mechanical music reproductions, are protected for fifty years; but no specific term seems to be indicated for anonymous or pseudonymous works as such.
From Copyright: Its History and Its Law by Richard Rogers Bowker
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
