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

See Examples For:

anonymity anonymities

“We would try to talk about human rights defenders in talking points, only to have them struck,” said one former bureau employee, requesting anonymity for fear of retribution.

From Salon ● Jul. 21, 2026

“He walked right out from under me on two occasions with no security at all,” said the former official, who requested anonymity to discuss operations in Mexico.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026

He has seen the classic early 2000s photo dumps on Facebook and thinks "people are romanticising the anonymity of it, as much as the aesthetic".

From BBC ● Jul. 18, 2026

Another, also speaking on condition of anonymity, said he backed Burnham but was concerned that Burnham will only have a few weeks to prepare for government.

From Barron's ● Jul. 9, 2026

I had re-upped my anonymity settings, but I couldn’t be absolutely certain the Recluse wasn’t watching me.

From "Burning Blue" by Paul Griffin

Director Clair uses anonymities for his leads; Actor Raymond Cordy was a taxi-driver a year ago.

From Time Magazine Archive

Presumably because of the libel laws, Cross confines his harsher remarks about the House of Commons to anonymities.

From Time Magazine Archive

He stood behind a steel network of banks and lawyers and anonymities, unreachable.

From The Secret House by Wallace, Edgar

Down in the tanks inside the hull were a few luckless anonymities with search-lights, put there to watch for leaks from loose rivet-heads.

From The Cup of Fury A Novel of Cities and Shipyards by Raleigh, Henry

I remember doing just the same thing once when I came home from school and had an exciting story to tell, with preservation of anonymities.

From New Grub Street by Gissing, George