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

noun

• 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

Like other Russian conscripts who described their experiences to AFP, he spoke on condition of anonymity for security reasons.

From Barron's • Jun. 11, 2026

Space Investor would only speak on condition of anonymity.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 10, 2026

However, no VPN can guarantee complete anonymity, especially if users are logged into personal accounts or using identifiable services.

From Salon • Jun. 10, 2026

Brittan, from Devon, who spoke to the BBC after waiving her automatic lifelong right to anonymity, described the Met as "shambolic, incompetent and complicit".

From BBC • Jun. 3, 2026

And now the only thing that kept her safe was her mobility, her anonymity.

From "The Reader" by Traci Chee