alias
Americannoun
adverb
adverb
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of alias
First recorded in 1525–35; from Latin: “at another time, otherwise”; see also else
Explanation
Your alias could be as important as the name you use when you’re on the run or as simple as your screen name on a social networking site. Either way, an alias is a temporary name, one you don’t use all the time or for every occasion. If you crash your parents' lovingly-restored sports car into the garage when you aren't even supposed to be driving it, it might be easier to skip town and live under an assumed name, or alias, than deal with their reaction. Alias can also be used as an adverb to mean "also known as." Your parents might be less than thrilled when you introduce your new boyfriend, "John Smith, alias Lock-Jaw Johnnie, wanted in 39 states."
Vocabulary lists containing alias
300 Most Difficult "SAT" Words
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Bud, Not Buddy
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The Westing Game
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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.
See Examples For:
Prosecutors alleged that Rogers dealt with a Chinese handler who, under the alias Hummin Lee, posed as an academic when he introduced himself at a conference in 2013.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026
Authorities allege Chen also submitted marriage applications using an alias, “Vicky Liang.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026
Adolfo Macías, also known by the alias "Fito", is awaiting trial in the United States following his extradition from Ecuador last year.
From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026
The alias has been used by a number of different characters over the years, but they all usually possess shape-shifting abilities due to their clay-like bodies.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 22, 2026
Turning to the crowd of spectators, he said, lifting my hand high up, “This here is Muhammad Ali, alias Cassius Clay.”
From "Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography" by Mark Mathabane
They had checked into the hotel using authentic Lebanese passports under aliases.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 24, 2026
Said, 48 years old, holds two British passports, one that expired this month and a second expiring in 2029, and has used several aliases, according to the U.S.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 30, 2026
Despite being thrown off Discord several times for violating the site's code of conduct, he returned with different aliases, 16 in total.
From BBC ● Mar. 25, 2026
Gaffield used the aliases “Nomad” and “Cedar,” authorities said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 24, 2025
I looked at my parents' aliases and their birthdays, which variants I knew.
From "The Woman Warrior" by Maxine Hong Kingston
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.
