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

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Etymology

Origin of alter ego

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

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

alter ego

Count Binface is the satirical alter ego of comedian Jon Harvey, who has previously stood in four parliamentary elections and two London mayoral elections.

From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026

So it was very easy for him to become my alter ego.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026

Is the dog a fellow flâneur in the Weimar city, a mirror of its owner, or perhaps his alter ego?

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026

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

If she were like her comic book alter ego, the Flint Avenger, she’d have this up in a nanosecond.

From "Beauty Queens" by Libba Bray

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