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.
Mia Thornton, 40, separated from husband Gordon Thornton in 2023, then dated nationally syndicated DJ Incognito for a year before breaking up with him and reuniting with her estranged hubby this past New Year’s Eve.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 20, 2025
Google, said the company had misled users by tracking their online activity in Chrome’s Incognito mode, which they believed would be private.
From New York Times • Apr. 1, 2024
The legal battle revealed documents in which Google employees described Incognito as "effectively a lie" and "a confusing mess", according to Monday's court filing.
From BBC • Apr. 1, 2024
Plaintiffs sued Google in 2020, claiming that Google continued to collect data from users despite their use of private-browsing in Chrome's "Incognito" mode.
From Reuters • Mar. 2, 2023
“The Incognito Lumleys, that’s you two, to a T. It’s a rare treat to find you at sea level, I must say.”
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.
