anonymous

[ uh-non-uh-muh s ]

/ əˈnɒn ə məs /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR anonymous ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

without any name acknowledged, as that of author, contributor, or the like: an anonymous letter to the editor; an anonymous donation.

of unknown name; whose name is withheld: an anonymous author.

lacking individuality, unique character, or distinction: an endless row of drab, anonymous houses.

Words nearby anonymous

anon., anonychia, anonym, anonymity, anonymize, anonymous, anopheles, anophthalmia, anopia, anopisthograph, anoplasty

Origin of anonymous

1595–1605; < Latin anōnymus < Greek anṓnymos, equivalent to an- an-¹ + -ōnym(a) (variant of ónyma) -onym (earlier (a)n- with vowel lengthening; cf. anopheles) + -os adj. suffix; see -ous

OTHER WORDS FROM anonymous

a·non·y·mous·ness, nouna·non·y·mous·ly, adverbnon·a·non·y·mous·ness, noun

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH anonymous

anomalous anonymous euonymus unanimousanonymous pseudonymous

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Examples from the Web for anonymous

If only Sulzberger had managed to keep a zipped upper lip while leaving the dirty work to anonymous underlings.
The Bloodiest Media Coups of 2014|Lloyd Grove|December 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I wanted to be anonymous, as some of these people were friends of mine.
I Was Gang Raped at a UVA Frat 30 Years Ago, and No One Did Anything|Liz Seccuro|December 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Liar "I sometimes wish I could be anonymous and just walk down the street like everybody else."
The Beyoncé Manifesto: Quotes on Nihilism and Feminism|Amy Zimmerman|December 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And an anonymous junior in a fraternity at Emory University feels similarly.
Fraternities in a Post-UVA World|Samantha Allen|December 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST

The return of Stephen Glass, the truth about Anonymous and escaping Jonestown.
The Daily Beast’s Best Longreads, Nov 10-16, 2014|William Boot|November 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
"Very well," said Starr, without speaking of the anonymous letter.
The Underground City|Jules Verne
An anonymous modern wood-cut of Death seizing a usurer, over whom another Death is throwing a counterpane.
The Dance of Death|Francis Douce
The reception was not encouraging, only one anonymous critic speaking warmly in praise of the music.
The Life & Letters of Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky|Modeste Tchaikovsky
In addition to the poems enumerated above, all of which are anonymous, we have also a number of works by known poets.
The Heroic Age|H. Munro Chadwick
The author of the anonymous letters had chosen her moment only too well.
Cosmopolis, Complete|Paul Bourget

British Dictionary definitions for anonymous

anonymous

/ (əˈnɒnɪməs) /

adjective

from or by a person, author, etc, whose name is unknown or withheldan anonymous letter

having no known name

lacking individual characteristics; unexceptional

(often capital) denoting an organization which provides help to applicants who remain anonymousAlcoholics Anonymous

Derived forms of anonymous

anonymity (ˌænəˈnɪmɪtɪ), nounanonymously, adverbanonymousness, noun

Word Origin for anonymous

C17: via Late Latin from Greek anōnumos, from an- + onoma name

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

anonymous

adjective

Words related to anonymous

Words nearby anonymous

Origin of anonymous

OTHER WORDS FROM anonymous

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH anonymous

Examples from the Web for anonymous

British Dictionary definitions for anonymous

adjective

Derived forms of anonymous

Word Origin for anonymous