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pen name

a fictitious name an author publishes under

In Literary English

In more detail

a fictional name that an author uses instead of their real name when writing books or articles

Examples

• The author George Orwell wrote under a pen name; his real name was Eric Blair.

How to use pen name

Pen name is a straightforward term used when discussing authors who publish under names other than their legal names. It overlaps closely with pseudonym but carries a specifically literary connotation, whereas pseudonym is broader and can apply to any assumed identity. Nom de plume is a more formal or literary variant.

Common phrases

• publish under a pen name
• write under a pen name
• use a pen name
• adopt a pen name
• famous pen name

Synonyms

pseudonym · nom de plume · alias · pen alias · literary name

A common mistake

Learners sometimes confuse pen name with pen pal (a person you correspond with by mail) or mistakenly use the phrase as 'pen-name' when it functions equally well as two separate words.

Nearby in Literary English

metonymy, monologue, oxymoron, personification, plot twist, point of view

Keep going

How to remember the words you read · Spaced repetition, explained