anonymous

American  

[uh-non-uh-muhs] / əˈnɒn ə məs /

adjective

1. without any name acknowledged, as that of author, contributor, or the like.

   an anonymous letter to the editor; an anonymous donation.

2. of unknown name; whose name is withheld.

   an anonymous author.

3. lacking individuality, unique character, or distinction.

   an endless row of drab, anonymous houses.

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anonymous British  

/ əˈnɒnɪməs, ˌænəˈnɪmɪtɪ /

adjective

1. from or by a person, author, etc, whose name is unknown or withheld

   an anonymous letter

2. having no known name

3. lacking individual characteristics; unexceptional

4. (often capital) denoting an organization which provides help to applicants who remain anonymous

   Alcoholics Anonymous

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Usage

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.

Other Word Forms

• anonymity noun
• anonymously adverb
• anonymousness noun
• nonanonymousness noun

Etymology

Origin of anonymous

First recorded in 1595–1605; from Latin anōnymus, from Greek anṓnymos, equivalent to an- an- ¹ + -ōnym(a) (variant of ónyma ) -onym (earlier (a)n- with vowel lengthening; anopheles ) + -os adjective suffix; -ous

Explanation

If you don't know who wrote a poem, the author is anonymous. If you don't know who donated a gift to a museum, it's called an anonymous gift from an anonymous donor. Anonymous means a person unknown. Alcoholics Anonymous takes its name from the fact that it's a confidential group––people use only their first names and do not identify one another as members of the group. Another related meaning of anonymous is to describe something that does not have any special qualities. If you work in an anonymous office building, its design is pretty typical and not very interesting.

Example Sentences

Some traders have complained that the process is ripe for manipulation by anonymous UMA “whales” whose holdings of the token gives them outsize voting power.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 11, 2026

It’s a tribute to the elderly, the anonymous worker bee explains.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026

She was first subjected to an ego-bruising round of media speculation that this was coming, rumors egged on by anonymous White House sources.

From Salon • Apr. 3, 2026

Det Ch Insp Louise Metcalfe, leading the Essex Police investigation, said the author of the anonymous handwritten letter to officers "seemed reticent of coming forward but couldn't bear the nightmare of knowing what they knew".

From BBC • Apr. 2, 2026

Brandon had found all of William Maynard’s contact information online, but instead of calling, they decided to send him an email from a newly created, anonymous email account.

From "The Parker Inheritance" by Varian Johnson

Related Words

• nameless
• undisclosed
• unidentified
• unnamed
• unsigned