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

anonymousness noun

Synonyms of anonymous

• one
• unnamed

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 to add to the case, or anyone with further questions, is asked to contact the police department’s non-emergency dispatch at 785-843-0250 or the anonymous Crime Stoppers of Lawrence and Douglas County TIPS Hotline at 785-843-TIPS (8477). —Caroline Zimmerman, Kansas City Star, 16 June 2026

This all comes after the Mexican missing person group Buscando Corazones Nogales received an anonymous tip claiming Guthrie’s remains were buried upstream in an unmarked grave near the Mexican border. —Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 16 June 2026

In the weeks following the discovery of the remains, authorities received an anonymous confession. —Sarah Dahlberg, NBC news, 15 June 2026

Another anonymous source told CBS News the fund is expected to focus on the building’s physical repair and maintenance. —Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 15 June 2026

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

Rhymes for anonymous

• autonomous
• economise
• eponymous
• synonymous

Kids 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