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

Count Binface -- the alter ego of comedian Jon Harvey -- exceeded expectations, however, taking 9,455 votes, 27 percent of the total.

From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 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

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

Such a dog-lover talks baby talk to mature and thoughtful animals, and attributes his own sloppy characteristics to them until the dog becomes in his mind an alter ego.

From "Travels with Charley in Search of America" by John Steinbeck

Related Words

• soul mate