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Synonyms

aka

American  
[ey-key-ey] / ˈeɪˈkeɪˈeɪ /
Or a.k.a.,

abbreviation

  1. also known as: (used to indicate another name or alias used by a person).

    According to police records he is Joe Smith aka “Baby Face Smith” and Joseph Smathers.
a.k.a. 1 British  

abbreviation

  1. also known as

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
aka 2 British  
/ ˈɑːkə /

noun

  1. a vine, Metrosideros scandens , found in New Zealand

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
aka Cultural  

  1. An abbreviation meaning “also known as.” It is primarily used by law enforcement officials to specify an alias: “John Smith, aka Jonathan Jones.”

Discover More

The abbreviation, which also appears as AKA and a.k.a., is often used figuratively and facetiously: “my cousin, aka the worst gossip in the neighborhood.”

Etymology

Origin of aka

First recorded in 1945–50

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.

On Sunday afternoon, Brown, aka KailynHype, played a DJ set at Party in my Living Room.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2026

The internet intelligence company Spur investigates residential proxy networks and keeps a list of all of their known internet locations, aka nodes.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

It "fails on the actual main goal: creating one true standard across Europe that creates legal certainty for our startups", since it defers legal authority to national courts, "aka 27 flavours of interpretation", it said.

From Barron's • Mar. 18, 2026

Ozzy Osbourne - aka The Godfather of Heavy Metal, aka The Prince Of Darkness - was a singular talent and one of the UK's most beloved musicians.

From BBC • Feb. 27, 2026

Michael Ravens, aka Zephyr, is standing behind me.

From "I'll Give You the Sun" by Jandy Nelson

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.