incognito
Americanadjective
adverb
noun
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a person who is incognito.
-
the state of being incognito.
-
the disguise or character assumed by an incognito.
adverb
noun
-
a person who is incognito
-
the assumed name or disguise of such a person
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of incognito
First recorded in 1630–40; from Italian, from Latin incognitus “unknown,” from in- in- 3 + cognitus “known” (past participle of cognōscere “to get to know”; see cognition)
Explanation
When you want to do something and not be recognized, go incognito — hiding your true identity. It is funny that the words, recognize and incognito, are both related to the Latin verb, cognoscere, "to get to know" because when you do something incognito, you do not want to be recognized. Celebrities often try to go out or travel incognito so that they may have some privacy, whereas an average person might want to remain incognito in order to observe something they might not otherwise be able to see (like a celebrity).
Vocabulary lists containing incognito
100 Words Every High School Graduate Should Know
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In the Know: Cogn, Conn
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The Catcher in the Rye
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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.
The technology behind WhatsApp's incognito mode is not the same as the end-to-end encryption the platform uses to protect other messages, but it is "the equivalent," Cathcart added.
From BBC • May 13, 2026
Meta has introduced a new incognito chat option for its AI model.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 13, 2026
JetBlue is now walking back advice given to a customer via social media to search for fares in incognito mode.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 22, 2026
While travel agents see the incognito trick as an ineffective weapon, consumer advocates say it’s one of the few tools consumers have to protect themselves from surveillance pricing.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 20, 2026
“A regular incognito party, eh? And I expect you didn’t want to risk giving her away by being yourselves when she was being someone else?”
From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
