anonymous
Americanadjective
-
without any name acknowledged, as that of author, contributor, or the like.
an anonymous letter to the editor; an anonymous donation.
-
of unknown name; whose name is withheld.
an anonymous author.
-
lacking individuality, unique character, or distinction.
an endless row of drab, anonymous houses.
adjective
-
from or by a person, author, etc, whose name is unknown or withheld
an anonymous letter
-
having no known name
-
lacking individual characteristics; unexceptional
-
(often capital) denoting an organization which provides help to applicants who remain anonymous
Alcoholics Anonymous
Usage
What does anonymous mean? Anonymous means that a person’s name or identity has not been revealed or given or has been withheld, as in an anonymous donor or an anonymous tip or Survey respondents will remain anonymous. Example: My source insists on remaining anonymous—they fear they would be punished for providing information if they were to be identified. There are many reasons why a person might want to be anonymous. A vote might be done anonymously to protect voters or to encourage them to give an honest vote even if it might be unpopular. Reporters will attribute information to anonymous sources to protect them from political or other retribution. Some people prefer to be anonymous online.The noun anonymity refers to the state of being anonymous. The word anonymous is prominently used in the name of the organization Alcoholics Anonymous, which encourages anonymity among its members. Another well-known use of the word is in the name of the modern hacker collective that calls itself Anonymous. The group’s name refers to the fact that members’ identities are unknown both to the public and other members, who rarely use their real names. Less commonly, anonymous can be used in situations in which no name is acknowledged, such as with the authorship of a book, as in The popular book was written by an anonymous author. A more figurative sense of anonymous is used to describe something lacking any unique character, as in We live in some anonymous suburb.
Other Word Forms
- anonymity noun
- anonymously adverb
- anonymousness noun
- nonanonymousness noun
Etymology
Origin of anonymous
First recorded in 1595–1605; from Latin anōnymus, from Greek anṓnymos, equivalent to an- an- 1 + -ōnym(a) (variant of ónyma ) -onym (earlier (a)n- with vowel lengthening; anopheles ) + -os adjective suffix; -ous
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.
Patel ordered a fleet of the high-end vehicles for the FBI, “for the purpose of being less conspicuous on his outings,” the report says, citing four anonymous sources familiar with the situation.
From Salon
Proposals like these would essentially end anonymous browsing online, and it wouldn’t just end it for minors.
From Salon
The documentary premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in July 2021, but Chow never tried to screen it in Hong Kong and kept the entire production team anonymous.
From Barron's
Industry website Deadline said "the amount that YouTube was willing to pay didn't make sense for Disney," citing anonymous insiders.
From Barron's
Uniforms have come to define the American worker, telling the story of the country’s decades-long dependence on workers who are made anonymous by design.
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.
