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Synonyms

faceless

American  
[fays-lis] / ˈfeɪs lɪs /

adjective

  1. without a face.

    a faceless apparition.

  2. lacking personal distinction or identity.

    a faceless mob.

  3. unidentified or unidentifiable; concealing one's identity.

    a faceless kidnapper.


faceless British  
/ ˈfeɪslɪs /

adjective

  1. without a face

  2. without identity; anonymous

"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

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of faceless

First recorded in 1560–70; face + -less

Explanation

Use the adjective faceless to mean impersonal or anonymous. The corrupt owner of a factory sees his employees as faceless worker bees. The enormous audience in a concert arena appears faceless to the rock band on stage. You also might think of the people who make the laws that affect you every day as nothing but faceless bureaucrats. When there's nothing distinct about a person or group, something that makes them stand out as a unique individual, they're faceless. It's also a good way to describe anything lacking character or interest, like a faceless row of identical suburban houses.

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

The video, made in collaboration with faceless director Lauzza, features buildings shuffling on beat and other excerpts of British culture.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 21, 2026

How many people have either forgotten that or found themselves in the market for a little reassurance from a faceless German?

From Slate ● Jun. 25, 2026

Many say it's yet another example of low quality "AI slop" churned out by faceless accounts.

From BBC ● Mar. 28, 2026

Fans follow athletes, not faceless national delegations, and they crave story lines: the comeback, the last shot, the breakthrough.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 17, 2026

It boils down to this: the Americans, the British are that faceless clot you don’t know, but a Frenchman or an Italian is your acquaintance and your friend.

From "Travels with Charley in Search of America" by John Steinbeck

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