Definition
A username or alias used to identify a user online, particularly on instant messaging platforms and chat services. It serves as a pseudonym that masks the user's real identity while communicating in digital spaces.
Example Usage
My screen name on AOL Instant Messenger was 'SurfDude92' back in the late 90s.
Origin
Emerged in the 1990s with early internet chat rooms and AOL, combining 'screen' (the display) with 'name' to denote a virtual identity.
Fun Fact
Screen names were essential social currency online—people spent considerable time crafting memorable ones with numbers and special characters to stand out.
Source: Definition backfill (hailey)
Related Terms
Translate This Term
See “screen name” in Corporate Speak, Gen-Z Slang, Pirate Speak, and more.
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