Latin quote · Friendship
Alter ego
“Another self.”
Latin phrase
Translation
What does “Alter ego” mean?
Alter ego translates as “Another self.”
An alter ego is a second self: a trusted friend, a fictional persona or, in law, a company used as a mere extension of its owner. The phrase covers all of these.
Origin
The story behind it
The phrase goes back to classical writers on friendship, and Cicero describes a true friend as another self; in law it names the ‘alter ego’ doctrine.
When to use it
How to use “Alter ego”
A playful entry for a creative-writing class on personas or a best-friend card.
- Latin
- Alter ego
- English
- Another self.
- Source
- Latin phrase
- Era
- Classical
- Theme
- Friendship
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