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
Just don’t skip the leather tote, which is more anonymous and perfect for a work wardrobe.
—Jake Henry Smith, Glamour, 18 Sep. 2025
The service will rely on the Tor internet browser, which will allow anonymous access to a secure MI6 messaging platform.
—Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 18 Sep. 2025
Anyone with information about the shooting is urged to contact homicide unit detectives at (816) 234-5043 or the anonymous TIPS Hotline at (816) 474-8477.
—Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 18 Sep. 2025
The anonymous teen's mother, who did not release her daughter's name for privacy, told local outlet WMBF News that her daughter began hallucinating last week and her heart rate reached nearly 200 beats per minute.
—Madison E. Goldberg, PEOPLE, 17 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for anonymous
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Jake Henry Smith, Glamour, 18 Sep. 2025
The service will rely on the Tor internet browser, which will allow anonymous access to a secure MI6 messaging platform.
—Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 18 Sep. 2025
Anyone with information about the shooting is urged to contact homicide unit detectives at (816) 234-5043 or the anonymous TIPS Hotline at (816) 474-8477.
—Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 18 Sep. 2025
The anonymous teen's mother, who did not release her daughter's name for privacy, told local outlet WMBF News that her daughter began hallucinating last week and her heart rate reached nearly 200 beats per minute.
—Madison E. Goldberg, PEOPLE, 17 Sep. 2025
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 Sep. 2025.
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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