alter ego

noun

al·​ter ego ˌȯl-tər-ˈē-(ˌ)gō 

also

-ˈe-(ˌ)gō 

plural alter egos

1

: a second self or different version of oneself: such as

a

: a trusted friend

b

: the opposite side of a personality

Clark Kent and his alter ego Superman

c

: counterpart sense 3

a fictional character that is the author's alter ego

2

law : a person or entity vicariously liable for another (such as an agent)

… because the Cuban bank had not physically participated in the expropriation, it could not be considered an alter ego of the Government in the context of the Citibank case.

—The New York Times

Did you know?

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.

Synonyms

• amigo
• buddy
• chum
• compadre
• comrade
• confidant
• confidante
• crony
• familiar
• friend
• intimate
• mate [chiefly British]
• musketeer
• pal

Examples of alter ego in a Sentence

a trusted adviser who is the President's alter ego

over the years the state's other senator became his alter ego as well as his political ally

Recent Examples on the Web

Set in the '80s, American Psycho follows Bale as Bateman, the wealthy New York City investment banking exec who hides his alter ego from the people around him. —Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 12 Dec. 2024

Pee-wee as Himself (Director: Matt Wolf, Producer: Emma Tillinger Koskoff) –– A chronicle of the life of artist and performer Paul Reubens and his alter ego Pee-wee Herman. —Peter Debruge, Variety, 11 Dec. 2024

Pee-wee as Himself / U.S.A. (Director: Matt Wolf, Producer: Emma Tillinger Koskoff) –– A chronicle of the life of artist and performer Paul Reubens and his alter ego Pee-wee Herman. —Mia Galuppo, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 Dec. 2024

Additionally, Pee-wee as Himself — a two-part documentary about the late Paul Reubens and his beloved alter ego Pee-wee Herman — will premiere at the fest. —Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 11 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin alter egō "close friend," literally "other I," perhaps as translation of Greek állos egṓ, héteros egṓ

Note: Cf. M. Tullius cicero, Letters to Atticus 3.15.4.: "… me enim ipsum multo magis accuso, deinde te quasi me alterum et simul meae culpae socium quaero." ("I am reproaching myself far more than you, and if I do reproach you it is as my alter ego; also I am looking for someone to share the blame" - translation by D. R. Shackleton Bailey.)

First Known Use

1537, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

alter ego

noun

al·​ter ego ˌȯl-tər-ˈē-gō 

1

: a trusted friend or personal representative

2

: the opposite side of a personality

Legal Definition

alter ego

noun

al·​ter ego ˈȯl-tər-ˈē-gō 

: second self

especially : a person or entity vicariously liable for another (as an agent)

had the officer been the alter ego of the corporation

—J. J. White and R. S. Summers

compare instrumentality

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.

Etymology

Latin, literally, second I