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anonymity

[an-uh-nim-i-tee]

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SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR anonymity ON THESAURUS.COM

noun, plural an·o·nym·i·ties.

the state or quality of being anonymous.

an anonymous person: some fine poetry attributed to anonymities.

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RELATED WORDS

invisibility, anonymousness

Origin of anonymity

1810–20; anonym(ous) + -ity, or < French anonymité

Related formsnon·an·o·nym·i·ty, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for anonymity

Contemporary Examples of anonymity

The official spoke on condition of anonymity so as not to harm future access to those embattled communities.
ISIS Fight Has a Spy Shortage, Intel Chair Says
Kimberly Dozier
January 2, 2015
The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the security preparations publicly.
CIA Offers New Security Checks for ‘Torture Report’ Spies
Shane Harris, Kimberly Dozier
December 9, 2014
This problem of anonymity is one of the prime reasons the niqab was banned in France and some other European countries.
Abu Dhabi Stabbing: Why Law Enforcement Hates The Niqab & Burqa
Christopher Dickey
December 3, 2014
Her writing won such widespread acclaim that her anonymity could not last.
Malala Yousafzai Is the Youngest Nobel Peace Prize Winner in History
Nico Hines
October 10, 2014
Groups such as Kansas Values Institute may attract donors who seek the anonymity provided by many of these nonprofits.
Millions in Dark Money Has Taken Over the Airwaves in Kansas
Center for Public Integrity
October 9, 2014

Historical Examples of anonymity

The meanness of anonymity gave a shuddering obscenity to the moment.
The Forsyte Saga, Volume III.
John Galsworthy
The author, who preserves her anonymity, has been "over the top" in the fullest sense.
Attack
Edward G. D. Liveing
I'm only a plain man, and I want to know where the fun of anonymity comes in?
The Big Bow Mystery
I. Zangwill
The time is very favorable for the disappearance of your anonymity.
The Branding Iron
Katharine Newlin Burt
He would cling to his anonymity to the bitter end, no matter what the cost.
The King of Diamonds
Louis Tracy

Word Origin and History for anonymity

n.

1820; see anonym + -ity. In same sense anonymousness is recorded from 1802.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper