anonymous

adjective

anon·​y·​mous ə-ˈnä-nə-məs 

1

: of unknown authorship or origin

an anonymous tip

2

: not named or identified

an anonymous author

They wish to remain anonymous.

3

: lacking individuality, distinction, or recognizability

the anonymous faces in the crowd

… the gray anonymous streets …

—William Styron

anonymousness noun

Synonyms

• certain
• given
• one
• some
• unidentified
• unnamed
• unspecified

Examples of anonymous in a Sentence

The donor wishes to remain anonymous.

An anonymous buyer purchased the painting.

The college received an anonymous gift.

He made an anonymous phone call to the police.

The reporter got an anonymous tip.

His was just another anonymous face in the crowd.

Recent Examples on the Web

In a letter to parents Tuesday evening, South Milwaukee Middle School principal Jim Hendrickson said the school received an anonymous report that a student was overheard in class earlier in the day making a threat to school safety. —Alec Johnson, Journal Sentinel, 11 Sep. 2024

Taylor Swift is free to endorse a candidate but most CEOs prefer to stay anonymous on political preferences to promote harmony and avoid a backlash. —Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 11 Sep. 2024

Create an anonymous feedback channel to ensure all employees feel safe to voice their opinions. —Cheryl Robinson, Forbes, 10 Sep. 2024

The source, who preferred to remain anonymous as the information is not yet public, added that the plans are still in the early stages and have not yet been formalized. —Ryan Browne, CNBC, 9 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Late Latin anōnymos, anōnymus "lacking a name" (borrowed from Greek anṓnymos "lacking a name, unnamed, not well-known or remembered," from an- an- + -ōnymos, derivative in adjectival compounds of ónoma, Doric and Aeolic dialects ónyma "name") + -ous — more at name entry 1

First Known Use

1625, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

anonymous

adjective

anon·​y·​mous ə-ˈnän-ə-məs 

1

: not named or identified

the donor remained anonymous

2

: made or done by someone unknown

anonymous gifts

an anonymous poem

anonymously adverb

anonymousness noun

Etymology

from Latin anonymus "anonymous," from Greek anonymos (same meaning), from an-, a- "not, without" and onyma, onoma "name" — related to synonymous