alter ego

American  

[awl-ter ee-goh, eg-oh, al-] / ˈɔl tər ˈi goʊ, ˌɛg oʊ, ˈæl- /

noun

alter egos plural

1. a second self; a perfect substitute or deputy.

   His adviser acts as his alter ego during his absence.

2. an inseparable friend.

3. another aspect of one's self.

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alter ego British  

/ ˈæltər ˈiːɡəʊ, ˈɛɡəʊ /

noun

1. a second self

2. a very close and intimate friend

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alter ego Cultural  

1. An intimate friend, considered another side of oneself: “He was my alter ego; we were always picking up each other's thoughts.” Alter ego is Latin for “another I.”

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• alter egos
  plural

Etymology

Origin of alter ego

1530–40; < Latin (Cicero), probably translation of Greek állos egṓ, héteros egṓ another I

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

alter ego

One person has come forward to declare he will challenge Farage: Count Binface, the alter ego of comedian Jon Harvey, who regularly runs in UK elections with his trash-can shaped head and long cape.

From Barron's ● Jul. 8, 2026

Bombastic yet intimate, fantastical yet sensible, Colbert’s farewell to his Comedy Central audience and his conservative alter ego was about as lovely and loving as TV can be.

From Salon ● May 21, 2026

The stage name, she explains, is less persona than alter ego - "a very personal rebellion".

From BBC ● May 15, 2026

Paul Alexander Nolan’s Max, the owner of a boardwalk video store who crashes into the lives of the Emerson family, puts on a Clark Kent facade to conceal his nefarious alter ego.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 1, 2026

Aldrin is a somewhat mysterious substance, for although it exists as a separate entity it bears the relation of alter ego to dieldrin.

From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson

Related Words

• soul mate