pen name
Americannoun
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pen names
plural
noun
Usage
What is a pen name? A pen name is a name, especially a completely fake one, under which an author publishes their work instead of using their real name. The term nom de plume means the exact same thing. There are many reasons an author may choose to use a pen name instead of their own name, such as to avoid controversy or to create a persona. Many women authors throughout history have used a male or gender-neutral pen name to get their work published due to bias against women writers. A famous example is Mary Ann Evans, who used the pen name George Eliot. A more general term for a pen name is pseudonym, which refers to any false name but is most commonly associated with writers. Example: Many people know that Mark Twain was the pen name of Samuel Clemens, but they don't realize he also published as Sieur Louis de Conte.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of pen name
First recorded in 1840–50
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Maria met the scammer impersonating Prince Hamdan bin Mohammed, also known by his pen name Fazza, on a dating site before the conversation moved to a messaging app where he bombarded her with romantic messages.
From Barron's ● Jul. 3, 2026
“I thought it was way too dangerous,” Zang, who goes by the pen name Sheng Xue, wrote on X. “But he actually went ahead and did it.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 28, 2026
Noir fans will recognize the title as belonging to a short story by William Irish, the pen name of that master of unease, Cornell Woolrich.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 28, 2026
Chisholm read the whole book, published under the pen name Tori Woods, and found a reasonable reader would find it "undeniably offensive".
From BBC ● Feb. 10, 2026
“It’s a pen name, long story. Where you been?”
From "The Manifestor Prophecy" by Angie Thomas
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
