nameless

adjective

name·​less ˈnām-ləs How to pronounce nameless (audio)
1
2
: not known by name : anonymous
3
: having no legal right to a name (as due to being born to parents not married to each other)
4
: not having been given a name : unnamed
5
: not marked with a name
a nameless grave
6
a
: incapable of precise description : indefinable
b
: too repulsive or distressing to describe
namelessly adverb
namelessness noun

Examples of nameless in a Sentence

She left the hotel with a nameless man in a black jacket. The source for my story prefers to remain nameless. A top government official, who shall remain nameless, has expressed concern about the decision. The men were buried there in nameless graves.
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.
The victim is not some nameless, faceless corporate automaton. Baltimore Sun Editorial Board, Baltimore Sun, 6 Mar. 2025 Their inscriptions have faded and succumbed to ivy, leaving thousands of nameless stones in the thicket. Shira Li Bartov, Sun Sentinel, 27 Feb. 2025 And don't let nameless sources, even senators and House members, who want to scare you, and the media, who want to perpetuate the line. Benjamin Siegel, ABC News, 26 Feb. 2025 Walsh’s male fantasists—the nameless rubes of Ballyturk, the desperate suitors of Penelope, even the heartbroken father at the center of Grief Is the Thing With Feathers—get to strut and bluster and scream into the wind. Sara Holdren, Vulture, 23 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for nameless

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of nameless was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Nameless.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nameless. Accessed 16 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

nameless

adjective
name·​less ˈnām-ləs How to pronounce nameless (audio)
1
: having no name
2
: not marked with a name
a nameless grave
3
: unknown entry 1, anonymous
a nameless hero
4
a
: impossible to describe
nameless fears
b
: too disgusting or disturbing to be described
nameless acts of cruelty

More from Merriam-Webster on nameless

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