anonymous
adjective
anon·y·mous
ə-ˈnä-nə-məs 
1
: of unknown authorship or origin
an anonymous tip
2
: not named or identified
an anonymous author
They wish to remain anonymous.
3
: lacking individuality, distinction, or recognizability
the anonymous faces in the crowd
… the gray anonymous streets …—
William Styron
William Styron
anonymousness
noun
Examples of anonymous in a Sentence
The donor wishes to remain anonymous.
An anonymous buyer purchased the painting.
The college received an anonymous gift.
He made an anonymous phone call to the police.
The reporter got an anonymous tip.
His was just another anonymous face in the crowd.
Recent Examples on the Web
Anyone with information about Thomas’ death or Magos-Olvera’s whereabouts are urged to contact the police department at 913-344-8750 or the anonymous TIPS Hotline at 816-474-8477.
—Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 19 May 2026
Those wishing to stay anonymous can call Crime Stoppers of Minnesota at 1-800-222-8477 or submit a tip here.
—Nick Lentz, CBS News, 19 May 2026
Understandably, some clients will not feel comfortable being showcased on your website, but even anonymous reviews can reassure visitors that others have successfully worked with your firm.
—Peter Boyd, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026
Data aggregated by Blind, an anonymous professional network that requires users to verify their employment with a work email address, reveals some of the internal malaise.
—Jonathan Vanian,julia Boorstin, CNBC, 18 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for anonymous
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Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 19 May 2026
Those wishing to stay anonymous can call Crime Stoppers of Minnesota at 1-800-222-8477 or submit a tip here.
—Nick Lentz, CBS News, 19 May 2026
Understandably, some clients will not feel comfortable being showcased on your website, but even anonymous reviews can reassure visitors that others have successfully worked with your firm.
—Peter Boyd, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026
Data aggregated by Blind, an anonymous professional network that requires users to verify their employment with a work email address, reveals some of the internal malaise.
—Jonathan Vanian,julia Boorstin, CNBC, 18 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for anonymous
Cite this Entry
“Anonymous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/anonymous. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
anonymous
adjective
anon·y·mous
ə-ˈnän-ə-məs
1
: not named or identified
the donor remained anonymous
2
: made or done by someone unknown
anonymous gifts
an anonymous poem
anonymously
adverb
anonymousness
noun
Etymology
from Latin anonymus "anonymous," from Greek anonymos (same meaning), from an-, a- "not, without" and onyma, onoma "name" — related to synonymous
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