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
The franchise’s early albums were performed mostly by anonymous studio singers, although later releases focused on branding named talent.
—Keith Caulfield, Billboard, 13 Apr. 2025
The former student, who asked to remain anonymous for fear of retribution, graduated from UIC in 2023 and was continuing to work in the U.S. on a STEM optional practical training extension.
—Carolyn Stein, Chicago Tribune, 11 Apr. 2025
Two anonymous sources told Reuters that the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS is being gutted.
—Abby Monteil, Them., 11 Apr. 2025
The second-largest donation was $30,000 from another anonymous donor.
—David Faris, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for anonymous
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Keith Caulfield, Billboard, 13 Apr. 2025
The former student, who asked to remain anonymous for fear of retribution, graduated from UIC in 2023 and was continuing to work in the U.S. on a STEM optional practical training extension.
—Carolyn Stein, Chicago Tribune, 11 Apr. 2025
Two anonymous sources told Reuters that the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS is being gutted.
—Abby Monteil, Them., 11 Apr. 2025
The second-largest donation was $30,000 from another anonymous donor.
—David Faris, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Apr. 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 19 Apr. 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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