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
Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 7 Mar. 2025
Elisabeth soon grows jealous of her alter ego while Sue is rapidly embraced by the public.
—Brendan Morrow, USA TODAY, 3 Mar. 2025
Acting as Di Morabito’s alter ego, the robot led the show only after quoting from Thomas Carlyle’s Sartor Resartu, an 1830s book theorizing fashion while reflecting on mankind’s loneliness.
—Giorgia Feroldi, Vogue, 1 Mar. 2025
Players adopt alter egos, from warriors to sorcerers, who traverse worlds of mysticism and monsters.
—Eric Francisco, Rolling Stone, 1 Mar. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Alter ego.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/alter%20ego. Accessed 23 Mar. 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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