anagram

American  

[an-uh-gram] / ˈæn əˌgræm /

noun

1. a word, phrase, or sentence formed from another by rearranging its letters.

   “Angel” is an anagram of “glean.”

2. (used with a singular verb) anagrams, a game in which the players build words by transposing and, often, adding letters.

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verb (used with object)

anagrammed, anagramming

1. to form (the letters of a text) into a secret message by rearranging them.

2. to rearrange (the letters of a text) so as to discover a secret message.

anagram British  

/ ˈænəˌɡræm, ˌænəɡrəˈmætɪk /

noun

1. a word or phrase the letters of which can be rearranged into another word or phrase

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Other Word Forms

• anagrammatic adjective
• anagrammatical adjective
• anagrammatically adverb

Etymology

Origin of anagram

First recorded in 1580–90; probably from Middle French anagramme, from New Latin anagramma; equivalent to ana- + -gram ¹

Explanation

An anagram is a word or phrase that's formed by rearranging the letters of another word or phrase. For example, the letters that make up “A decimal point” can be turned into the anagram “I’m a dot in place.” People mainly make anagrams just for fun, but sometimes they’re used as pseudonyms or codes. For example, the French writer Francois Rabelais published his controversial first book under Alcofribas Nasier, an anagram of his name. The most entertaining anagrams are the ones where the rearranged letters make some sort of comment on the original. “Dormitory” turns into the anagram “dirty room,” and “snooze alarms” can be rearranged into “Alas! No more Zs.”

Example Sentences

The suit claims that Energy Transfer’s litigation violated Greenpeace International’s rights under the European Union’s 2024 anti-Slapp law, an anagram for strategic litigation against public participation.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 5, 2025

The pair borrowed the store’s name, an anagram of “nowhere,” from Samuel Butler’s 1872 satirical novel of the same name, which centered on a utopia where illness is considered a crime.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 23, 2025

They used sentences like "ithlium is the lightest of all metals," where the anagram was used to create an "aha" experience.

From Salon • Oct. 21, 2023

In 2018, renowned street artist Banksy submitted an artwork under the pseudonym, Bryan S Gaakman - an anagram of "Banksy anagram" - and was rejected.

From BBC • Jun. 12, 2023

And even then he couldn't help but anagram.

From "An Abundance of Katherines" by John Green