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Which Russian ruler traveled incognito to study shipbuilding?

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incognito

American  

[in-kog-nee-toh, in-kog-ni-toh] / ˌɪn kɒgˈni toʊ, ɪnˈkɒg nɪˌtoʊ /

adjective

1. having one's identity concealed, as under an assumed name, especially to avoid notice or formal attentions.

   Synonyms:

   unidentified, undisclosed

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adverb

1. with the real identity concealed.

   to travel incognito.

noun

incognitos plural

1. a person who is incognito.

2. the state of being incognito.

3. the disguise or character assumed by an incognito.

incognito British  

/ ɪnˈkɒɡnɪtəʊ, ˌɪnkɒɡˈniːtəʊ /

adverb

1. under an assumed name or appearance; in disguise

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noun

1. a person who is incognito

2. the assumed name or disguise of such a person

Etymology

Origin of incognito

First recorded in 1630–40; from Italian, from Latin incognitus “unknown,” from in- in- ³ + cognitus “known” (past participle of cognōscere “to get to know”; see cognition)

Explanation

When you want to do something and not be recognized, go incognito — hiding your true identity. It is funny that the words, recognize and incognito, are both related to the Latin verb, cognoscere, "to get to know" because when you do something incognito, you do not want to be recognized. Celebrities often try to go out or travel incognito so that they may have some privacy, whereas an average person might want to remain incognito in order to observe something they might not otherwise be able to see (like a celebrity).

Example Sentences

Now, with the authorities increasingly on the hunt for Starlink terminals, Sahand and his network are advising users to use VPNs with the satellite technology in order to remain incognito.

From BBC • May 2, 2026

While travel agents see the incognito trick as an ineffective weapon, consumer advocates say it’s one of the few tools consumers have to protect themselves from surveillance pricing.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 20, 2026

Use the chatbot’s incognito mode, which won’t save the query to your account and will prevent it from being used to train the model.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 25, 2025

When possible, opt to store browsing activity locally, so it isn’t sent to company servers, and use incognito mode for sensitive queries.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 23, 2025

“A regular incognito party, eh? And I expect you didn’t want to risk giving her away by being yourselves when she was being someone else?”

From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood