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.”
First recorded in 1945–50
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Also of note, Paramount recently added all five seasons of “The Bureau” — aka “Le Bureau des Légendes” — the original French series that “The Agency” was adapted from.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 30, 2026
A few months ago, seeking a mechanic to mod my Corolla, I was referred to an auto shop in Garden Grove aka Little Saigon.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 22, 2026
It’s called “plug-in solar,” aka “balcony solar,” because that’s where panels are often placed.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 5, 2026
Choi Seung-hyun – better known as T.O.P., aka Thanos from “Squid Game” Season 2 – quietly served up the most earth-shaking comeback album in South Korea this year.
From Salon ● Jun. 5, 2026
I read over my notes about John Draper, aka Captain Crunch, and the toy plastic whistle that had made him famous in the annals of hacker lore.
From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline
As for Rogue, she is grieving the loss of Gambit, a.k.a.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026
On my tour, no performer better represented the blurred line between theater and street life than the Duchess of Argyle, a.k.a. the Mysterious Masked Lady of Hollywoodland, a.k.a.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 22, 2026
It’s safe to say that Naomi Ramírez, a.k.a.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 4, 2026
“I have informed my agents that I will not be performing at the Freedom 250 event,” “Bust a Move” rapper Young MC, a.k.a.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 29, 2026
He always gave in when me and Natasha said the winner got a Freeze Cup—frozen Kool-Aid in a Styrofoam cup—or a pack of “Nileators,” a.k.a.
From "The Hate U Give" by Angie Thomas
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.
