pseudonyme

pseudonym, pen name

noun psyoo-do-NEEM Rare

Origin: From Greek 'pseudonymos' (bearing a false name).

Usage Note

Pseudonyme is the formal word for a false name used by an author or public figure, equivalent to English 'pseudonym' or 'pen name'. Writers' pen names are specifically called noms de plume in a literary context, though pseudonyme covers all cases. The colloquial abbreviation is pseudo, which dominates in everyday and digital usage.

Examples

"L'auteur écrit sous un pseudonyme."

Natural Translation

The author writes under a pseudonym.

Related Words

Explore French by topic

FrenchNow

Telling Time in French: Hours, Quarters, 24-Hour

Telling time in French means Il est cinq heures, et quart, et demie, and the 24-hour clock like quatorze heures trente. Read any French schedule.

June 4, 2026 5 min read

FrenchNow

French Café Culture: How to Order Like a Local

In a French café, un café means espresso, one drink rents the table for an hour, and you must ask for the bill. Order coffee like a local with these phrases.

June 4, 2026 7 min read

FrenchNow

En, Au, Aux: French Prepositions for Countries

Use en for feminine countries, au for masculine, aux for plural, and à for cities. Full French preposition rule for countries, with a lookup table and traps.

June 4, 2026 5 min read

FrenchNow

French Adjective Placement: Before or After the Noun?

French adjectives usually follow the noun, but a small common set goes before it — and a few change meaning depending on which side they sit. Here's the rule.

June 4, 2026 5 min read