anonymity

American  

[an-uh-nim-i-tee] / ˌæn əˈnɪm ɪ ti /

noun

anonymities plural

1. the state or quality of being anonymous.

2. an anonymous person.

   some fine poetry attributed to anonymities.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonanonymity
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• anonymities
  plural

Etymology

Origin of anonymity

First recorded in 1810–20; anonym(ous) + -ity, or from French anonymité

Explanation

If you want a little bit of invisibility, you might seek anonymity, or being anonymous and nameless. He was a very wealthy man, and he gave most of his money away with quiet anonymity, so no one knew who was helping. The noun anonymity comes from a Greek word meaning "without a name." If you have anonymity, you have namelessness, and people will not know who you are. Some words that are the opposite of anonymity are "celebrity" and "fame." Sometimes people request anonymity, as in "he phoned the police to report the break-in across the street but requested anonymity so the burglars wouldn't know who turned them in."

Example Sentences

"Anonymity is not invisibility," said the father of another one of the girls.

From BBC • May 22, 2026

Anonymity helped the street artist move unchecked but made some collectors wary; ”I feel more comfortable knowing who he is,” says collector Peter Brant.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 17, 2026

Anonymity provides the ability to troll endlessly; the lack of identification combined with the lack of experiences gives anyone credibility, even if they don’t deserve it.

From Salon • Sep. 19, 2025

Anonymity is so important that it’s codified in the 12th Tradition as “the spiritual foundation of all our traditions, ever reminding us to place principles before personalities.”

From Slate • Sep. 10, 2025

Anonymity was one of the major perks of the OASIS.

From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline