pseudonymity

[sood-n-im-i-tee]

noun

1. pseudonymous character.

2. use of a pseudonym.

Word History and Origins

Origin of pseudonymity¹

First recorded in 1875–80; pseudonym + -ity

Example Sentences

Lee Reiners, policy director of Duke Financial Economics Center, testified that “crypto pseudonymity makes it ideally suited for bad actors” and that ransomware gangs — which use malicious software to block computer system access until a ransom is paid — wouldn’t exist without cryptocurrency because it’s “the exclusive payment method of choice for ransomware hackers.”

From Los Angeles Times

Meta forces Horizon users to design avatars that look like real people — no giant bananas or huge robots — and many people choose to look as they do in real life, but pseudonymity is still part of the appeal.

From New York Times

In allotting greater control over how users presented themselves online – through, for example, pseudonymity and relaxed content moderation – Tumblr stood out as a bastion for creative expression.

From Salon

That way, Twitter could still potentially “authenticate all real humans,” as Musk has called for, without banning anonymity or pseudonymity.

From Washington Post

“Pseudonymity is an old idea, authors have used pen names for a variety of reasons for centuries, but that pen name still has longevity and achievements attached to it.”

From Slate

When To Use

What does pseudonymity mean?

Pseudonymity is the state of using or being published under a pseudonym—a false or fictitious name, especially one used by an author.There are many reasons an author may choose to use a pseudonym instead of 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 pseudonymity is also used in the context of online communication that involves users identifying themselves with names other than their real names.Example: The pseudonymity of some online platforms can make it difficult to tell the difference between bots and real users.