alias
Americannoun
-
aliases
plural
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
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Bud, Not Buddy
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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:
Translation: This Vision has a purpose beyond figuring out his role in this world, something he put off by hiding in a pub under the alias of Sherwood Ellis and posing as human.
From Salon ● Oct. 23, 2026
Once the video went viral, it appears Eatherly realized he was on to something and soon created his alias, Chud the Builder.
From Slate ● Aug. 20, 2026
Citing law enforcement sources, NBC4 reported that Fisher, under the alias Richard Graydon, worked as an executive at Immix Biopharma, a biotech pharmaceutical company in West Los Angeles.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026
For musician Alen Dokic - who has produced a World Cup song under the alias Doppelganger - Bosnia's qualification is an example of 'Bosanski Inat', a cultural mindset of defiance and overcoming adversity.
From BBC ● Jun. 12, 2026
His use of an alias also increased the difficulty of tracking him down.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
He says he has a few clients who are so secretive, he doesn’t know their real identity; they use aliases on the paperwork.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 23, 2026
People signed up their pets, used aliases and played games with mailing addresses to bilk the company out of new releases for less than the cost of a penny.
From Salon ● Aug. 21, 2026
The workers often juggle multiple aliases simultaneously, and can hold down several jobs under each stolen name.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
The 28-year-old Iraqi Kurd had operated for several years under a number of aliases.
From BBC ● May 19, 2026
Howard was one of Holmes’s more common aliases, Geyer now knew.
From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
