pseudonym
n. countablen. a fake name that someone, like an author, uses instead of their real name. You use this when you want to keep your identity secret.
n. a fictitious name assumed by an individual, typically an author, to conceal their identity. Often used to separate a writer's personal life from their professional output.
The famous author wrote her new book under a pseudonym.
To avoid the bias associated with her family name, the journalist published her investigation under a pseudonym.
Throughout the eighteenth century, political satirists frequently adopted classical pseudonyms to shield themselves from libel charges while critiquing the ruling class.
Back-formation from pseudonymous, from French pseudonyme (“pseudonymous”, adjective), from Ancient Greek ψευδώνυμος (pseudṓnumos), from ψευδής (pseudḗs, “false”) and ὄνυμα (ónuma), a dialectal form of ὄνομα (ónoma, “name”). By surface analysis, pseudo- + -onym.
Often paired with the verbs 'use', 'adopt', or 'write under'.