aka

or a.k.a., AKA

[ ey-key-ey ]

/ ˈeɪˈkeɪˈeɪ /

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abbreviation

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.

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of aka

First recorded in 1945–50

Words nearby aka

Ajmer-Merwara, à jour, ajuga, AK, AK-47, aka, Akademi, akala, Akan, akaryote, akasha

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use aka in a sentence

In May, the head of Guerreros Unidos, Mario Casarrubias Salgado, aka the Beautiful Toad, was arrested.
Mexico’s First Lady of Murder Is on the Lam|Michael Daly|October 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
That kind of behavior would be in keeping with somebody who had been slipped a date rape drug such as Midazolam, aka Dazzle.
Alleged U.Va. Abductor Accused of Rape at Christian College|Michael Daly|September 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The horseman, aka Abraham, is actually passably cute, with a rocking bod and apparently steady source of income.
Naked Ben Franklin Christens the Campy Return of ‘Sleepy Hollow’|Amy Zimmerman|September 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The compilation also brought the Nazi-riffic Apt Pupil and leach-tastic The Body (aka Stand By Me) to the silver screen.
20 Things You Didn’t Know About 'The Shawshank Redemption'|Bill Schulz|August 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST

The “Hall of Fame” also houses the Duchess of Cambridge (aka Kate Middleton), which seems sad though spot-on.
Are These Really the Best Dressed People in the World?|Tim Teeman|August 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The suffix -aka or -aga sometimes appears and gives a sense of continuance to the verbal root.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 3, Part 1, Slice 3|Various
This form may also appear as ša, as for instance aka—to be on fire becomes aša, to set on fire.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 3, Part 1, Slice 3|Various
I was drawing the grand old head of a venerable dame—Oriuhia t Aka—when she asked to see what I was about.
Greater Britain|Charles Wentworth Dilke
But if the adjective in the superlative expresses a lessening of the quality then -aka(ne) is suffixed.
The Mafulu|Robert W. Williamson
"Killed a rosmaro today, second time in ten days," Ch'aka said.
The Ethical Engineer|Henry Maxwell Dempsey

British Dictionary definitions for aka (1 of 2)

aka

/ (ˈɑːkə) /

noun plural aka

a vine, Metrosideros scandens, found in New Zealand

Word Origin for aka

Māori

British Dictionary definitions for aka (2 of 2)

a.k.a.

AKA

abbreviation for

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

Cultural definitions for aka

aka

[ (ay-kay-ay) ]

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

notes for aka

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.”