A.k.a. Definition & Meaning

American

British

Cultural

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Etymology

Examples

Related Words

Synonyms aka American [ey-key-ey] / ˈeɪˈkeɪˈeɪ / Or a.k.a.,

abbreviation

1. also known as: (used to indicate another name or alias used by a person).

   According to police records he is Joe Smith aka “Baby Face Smith” and Joseph Smathers.

aka 1 British / ˈɑːkə /

noun

1. a vine, Metrosideros scandens , found in New Zealand

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 a.k.a. 2 British

abbreviation

1. also known as

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 aka Cultural

1. An abbreviation meaning “also known as.” It is primarily used by law enforcement officials to specify an alias: “John Smith, aka Jonathan Jones.”

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The abbreviation, which also appears as AKA and a.k.a., is often used figuratively and facetiously: “my cousin, aka the worst gossip in the neighborhood.”

Etymology

Origin of aka

First recorded in 1945–50

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

French artist Oklou – aka Marylou Mayniel – described her debut album as a "quest for meaning, of the need to be touched by anything" in a world where our interactions are stripped of humanity and flattened onto a screen.

From BBC

And on it goes with Elon Musk, with “MAHA” influencer Vani Hari aka “Food Babe,” with actress Cheryl Hines, who is married to RFK Jr., and even with Attorney General Pam Bondi.

From Slate

Claudius, the customized version of the model, would run the machine: ordering inventory, setting prices and responding to customers—aka my fellow newsroom journalists—via workplace chat app Slack.

From The Wall Street Journal

The at-large defendants are Larry Castillo, 42, aka “Lil Dee,” of Victorville; Soo Kang, 31, aka “Easy,” of Koreatown; and Bryan Gordian-Padilla, 24, aka “Goon,” of West Covina.

From Los Angeles Times

EDF, the French company building the plant, promised a novel solution: It would construct an elaborate noise machine, aka a “fish disco,” to scare the fish away.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• assumed name
• moniker
• pseudonym
• stage name

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.