anonymous
Origin of anonymous
OTHER WORDS FROM anonymous
a·non·y·mous·ness, nouna·non·y·mous·ly, adverbnon·a·non·y·mous·ness, nounWORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH anonymous
1. anomalous, anonymous , euonymus, unanimous2. anonymous , pseudonymousWords nearby anonymous
VOCAB BUILDER
What does anonymous mean?
Anonymous means that a person’s name or identity has not been revealed or given or has been withheld, as in an anonymous donor or an anonymous tip or Survey respondents will remain anonymous.
Example: My source insists on remaining anonymous—they fear they would be punished for providing information if they were to be identified.
There are many reasons why a person might want to be anonymous. A vote might be done anonymously to protect voters or to encourage them to give an honest vote even if it might be unpopular. Reporters will attribute information to anonymous sources to protect them from political or other retribution. Some people prefer to be anonymous online.
The noun anonymity refers to the state of being anonymous.
The word anonymous is prominently used in the name of the organization Alcoholics Anonymous, which encourages anonymity among its members.
Another well-known use of the word is in the name of the modern hacker collective that calls itself Anonymous. The group’s name refers to the fact that members’ identities are unknown both to the public and other members, who rarely use their real names.
Less commonly, anonymous can be used in situations in which no name is acknowledged, such as with the authorship of a book, as in The popular book was written by an anonymous author.
A more figurative sense of anonymous is used to describe something lacking any unique character, as in We live in some anonymous suburb.
Where does anonymous come from?
The first records of the word anonymous come from around 1595. It ultimately comes from Greek anṓnymos, which is equivalent of combining an-, meaning “without,” and -ōnym, meaning “name.” Anonymous basically means a name is missing or not being given.
Anonymous should not be confused with the somewhat similar-sounding unanimous, which describes complete agreement. Careful: in some cases, a vote can be both anonymous (using secret ballots without names, for example) and unanimous (meaning everyone voted in the same way). (Of course, in such a case, it would then be obvious how everyone voted.)
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What are some other forms related to anonymous?
- anonymously (adverb)
- anonymity (noun)
- anonymousness (noun)
- nonanonymousness (noun)
What are some synonyms for anonymous?
What are some words that share a root or word element with anonymous?
What are some words that often get used in discussing anonymous?
What are some words anonymous may be commonly confused with?
How is anonymous used in real life?
Anonymous is commonly used in the context of news reports with unnamed sources. It’s also used in the context of voting and online activity.
Random reminder that an anonymous source is not anonymous to the reporter who got that information
— Kathryn Watson (@kathrynw5) October 3, 2020
We've just received a very generous anonymous donation – whoever you are, thank you! 💛💙
— LUFC Trust (@lufctrust) July 13, 2017
To whoever sent me flowers,thank you! They're gorgeous and a spot of color in an otherwise gloomy outlook. Please get in touch so I can can say thanks as the card was anonymous!
— Nirave 尼拉夫 (@nirave) June 26, 2020
Try using anonymous!
True or False?
An anonymous author is an author whose name is unknown or has not been revealed.