anonymous

adjective

anon·​y·​mous ə-ˈnä-nə-məs How to pronounce anonymous (audio)
Synonyms of anonymous
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
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Sutton said The Wounded Blue first purchased the officer a wheelchair before connecting him with a renowned spinal surgeon through the same anonymous donor. Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 4 July 2026 Celebrity gossip Instagram account Deuxmoi was among the first to report on Alwyn and Pidgeon’s budding romance, receiving several anonymous tips about the pair. Allison Degrushe, StyleCaster, 2 July 2026 Freedom 250 also allows donors to request to remain anonymous, and the contributions are tax deductible. ABC News, 2 July 2026 For anonymous, confidential help, people can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or 1-800-787-3224. Riley Moser, CBS News, 1 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for anonymous

Word History

Etymology

Late Latin anōnymos, anōnymus "lacking a name" (borrowed from Greek anṓnymos "lacking a name, unnamed, not well-known or remembered," from an- an- + -ōnymos, derivative in adjectival compounds of ónoma, Doric and Aeolic dialects ónyma "name") + -ous — more at name entry 1

First Known Use

1625, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of anonymous was in 1625

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Anonymous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/anonymous. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.

Kids Definition

anonymous

adjective
anon·​y·​mous ə-ˈnän-ə-məs How to pronounce anonymous (audio)
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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