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

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

Herrmann, Hitchcock’s musical alter ego, also wrote the underscore, or background music.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026

McGuigan calls the brashness part of an "alter ego", suggesting Caroline is playing the part, but also sees a deeper link to the independence she has carved out.

From BBC • Apr. 5, 2026

Pham donned a neon pink wig and a vest, channeling Lily’s alter ego, Lola.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 24, 2026

I’d always thought of him as Baba’s quiet alter ego, my writing mentor, my pal, the one who never forgot to bring me a souvenir, a saughat, when he returned from a trip abroad.

From "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini

Related Words

• soul mate