alter ego
noun
The New York Times
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In Latin, alter ego literally means "second I". An alter ego can be thought of as a person's clone or second self. A professional alter ego might be a trusted aide who knows exactly what the boss wants done. A personal alter ego might be a close friend who is almost like a twin. Alter ego can also refer to the second, hidden side of one's own self. In Robert Louis Stevenson's classic The Strange Case of Doctor Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Dr. Jekyll is a good-hearted, honorable man; but after taking a potion, his alter ego, the loathsome and diabolical Mr. Hyde, takes over his personality.
Examples of alter ego in a Sentence
Sabrina Weiss, PEOPLE, 27 Oct. 2025
King Kylie was an alter ego borderline.
—Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 14 Oct. 2025
Nick Offerman’s persona has become nearly synonymous with Scotch whisky and red meat—thanks, of course, to his Parks and Recreation alter ego, Ron Swanson.
—Brittany Loggins, Bon Appetit Magazine, 13 Oct. 2025
The Sketch Book was published under the name Geoffrey Crayon, one of Irving’s literary alter egos.
—John Swansburg, The Atlantic, 10 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for alter ego
Cite this Entry
“Alter ego.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/alter%20ego. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
alter ego
noun
Legal Definition
alter ego
noun
J. J. White and R. S. Summers Note: The concept of a legal alter ego is used primarily to hold the controlling parties of a corporation personally liable instead of limiting liability to the corporate entity.
Latin, literally, second I
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