pseudonymous

[ soo-don-uh-muhs ]

adjective

1. bearing a false or fictitious name.
2. writing or written under a fictitious name.

Other Words From

• pseu·dony·mous·ly adverb
• pseu·dony·mous·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of pseudonymous¹

1700–10; < Greek pseudṓnymos; pseudonym, -ous

Example Sentences

The next pseudonymous presenter, who called himself the Lancaster Examiner, took a hyper-local focus on how NAR power gets built from the ground up.

From Salon

One day, a package arrives addressed to Catherine, containing a pseudonymous novel that opens with the disclaimer that any resemblance between fiction and fact is intentional.

From Los Angeles Times

They are a dedicated, mostly pseudonymous group that produces a slew of pro-Trump videos and images, many of them crude, offensive, satirical or conspiratorial – while others are more traditional and religious-themed.

From BBC

He submitted a florid “Ode to Sport” under the pseudonymous pairing of “Georges Hohrod and Martin Eschbach,” the surnames borrowed from the names of French villages.

From New York Times

Cryptocurrency wallet addresses are pseudonymous, meaning people can send and receive cryptocurrency without revealing their identity.

From Reuters

More About Pseudonymous

What does pseudonymous mean?

Pseudonymous means having, using, or written under a pseudonym—a false or fictitious name, especially one used by an author.

The word is often used to describe a person who uses a pseudonym, as in the pseudonymous artist, or something attributed to a false name, as in her pseudonymous novels. 

When an author uses a pseudonym, it can also be called a pen name or a nom de plume. 

There are many reasons an author may choose to publish pseudonymously instead of under 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 pseudonym to get their work published due to bias against women writers. A famous example is Mary Ann Evans, who used the pseudonym George Eliot.

The word pseudonym can refer to a fake or false name used by anyone, not just writers. It’s typically used so a person can remain anonymous. In legal proceedings, the pseudonymous titles John Doe, Jane Doe, Richard Roe, and Jane Roe are used in cases when a person’s name is being kept anonymous. Such names can also be called anonyms.

Example: It’s sometimes hard to tell whether pseudonymous posts are published by bots or real people.

Where does pseudonymous come from?

The first records of the word pseudonymous come from the early 1700s. The noun pseudonym is actually recorded later, in the 1800s. Both words come from the Greek pseudṓnymon, meaning “false name.” The prefix pseudo- means “false,” and -onym means “name” (it can also mean “word,” and is used in words like synonym and acronym).

Many famous writers published pseudonymously. Some famous ones are George Orwell (real name Eric Arthur Blair), Lewis Carroll (real name Charles Lutwidge Dodgson), and Evelyn Waugh (real name Arthur St. John). Authors use pseudonyms for many reasons. Sometimes, a famous author uses a pseudonym to publish a work in a genre that’s different from the one they’re known for, like when Agatha Christie published non-mystery novels as Mary Westmacott. Or just to write more books, like Stephen King did with the pseudonym Richard Bachman.

Sometimes, the fake name is intended to create a persona, such as Diedrich Knickerbocker (real name Washington Irving), Dr. Suess (real name Theodor Geisel), or Lemony Snicket (real name Daniel Handler).

Mark Twain, the famous pseudonym of Samuel Langhorne Clemens, is said to come from the phrase that riverboat captains would shout out when the boat was in two fathoms of water.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to pseudonymous?

• pseudonym (noun)
• pseudonymity (noun)

What are some words that share a root or word element with pseudonymous? 

 

• anonymous
• pseudoscience
• synonym
• antonym
• acronym

What are some words that often get used in discussing pseudonymous?

• pen name
• nom de plume
• alias
• name
• false
• fake
• fictitious
• identity
• author
• writer
• publish
• book
• novel
• authorship

How is pseudonymous used in real life?

Pseudonymous is especially used to describe the works of writers who use pseudonyms.

James Lasdun on turning down Doris Lessing's pseudonymous novel for publication, and rediscovering her decades later: http://t.co/yCgbP61JGq

— The New Yorker (@NewYorker) July 23, 2013

Except that Kierkegaard also wrote just as many works – more, actually – under his own name throughout (and beyond) the entire duration of the pseudonymous works, and spent a great deal of time writing nonpseudonymously in his journals and notebooks as well.

— Always Kierkegaarding (@AKierkegaarding) April 11, 2020

Went down a long twisted rabbit hole writing this story regarding #satoshinakamoto– the pseudonymous creator of #bitcoin. Rumor has it there might be a Netflix documentary in the works- that would be awesome! https://t.co/VEzyvvUMxs

— Erika Hanson (@erikahans2736) August 17, 2020

 

 

Try using pseudonymous!

Is pseudonymous used correctly in the following sentence? 

I prefer her pseudonymous works to those written under her real name.