alter ego

American  

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

noun

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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Etymology

Origin of alter ego

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

Example Sentences

PdVSA is effectively Venezuela’s alter ego, tied at the hip given that oil remains the lifeblood of the economy.

From Barron's

PdVSA is effectively Venezuela’s alter ego, tied at the hip given that oil remains the lifeblood of the economy.

From Barron's

All the while, Schnapp and his fictional alter ego became increasingly intertwined.

From Los Angeles Times

Several sculptures are based on the form of the falcon—a creature that Mr. Puryear has seemingly internalized like an alter ego.

From The Wall Street Journal

He disappears upstairs and returns minutes later in a blonde wig, yellow polo with the collar popped and a white linen jacket—the costume of his alter ego, “Hall and Grits.”

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• soul mate