anonymity

noun

an·​o·​nym·​i·​ty ˌa-nə-ˈni-mə-tē How to pronounce anonymity (audio)
plural anonymities
1
: the quality or state of being anonymous
enjoyed the anonymity of life in a large city
2
: one that is anonymous
a crowd of faceless anonymities

Examples of anonymity in a Sentence

They are trying to protect their child's anonymity. She enjoyed the anonymity of life in a large city.
Recent Examples on the Web Speaking on the condition of anonymity to openly discuss the problems, the officials acknowledged that other important assignments, such as restarting federal loan repayments and reopening schools after the coronavirus pandemic, used up vital resources. Zach Montague, New York Times, 14 Mar. 2024 One Moscow businessman, speaking on the condition of anonymity for fear of retribution, said many influential Russians are concerned about the arrest of two associates of Andrey Kostin, the head of VTB, Russia’s second-biggest state bank. Catherine Belton, Washington Post, 14 Mar. 2024 One source was granted anonymity; the other was CNN reporter Pamela Brown. Jessie Opoien, Journal Sentinel, 13 Mar. 2024 The person requested anonymity because deals cannot become official until the NFL’s new league year begins Wednesday. Williams, who turns 31 next month, played the last two seasons for the Jacksonville Jaguars. Gary Klein, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2024 House lawmakers are expected to receive a briefing Tuesday on TikTok from the FBI, Justice Department and intelligence officials, according to a congressional aide, who was granted anonymity to disclose details of the briefing that has not yet been made public. Jill Colvin, Fortune, 12 Mar. 2024 The lengthy flight duration, emotive movie plotlines, and a certain amount of anonymity is a sure-fire way to open the floodgates. Olivia Morelli, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Mar. 2024 The exact charges against Gil are not publicly known, but according to two sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity, his connection to private enterprises, known as mipymes in Spanish, is part of the corruption inquiry. Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 8 Mar. 2024 That mixture of different topics, combined with the app's anonymity and intimacy, encourages lots of unfiltered opinions, said Kenneth Joseph, an assistant professor of computer science and engineering at the University of Buffalo who studies social media. Zachary Schermele, USA TODAY, 7 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'anonymity.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

anonym(ous) + -ity

First Known Use

1820, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of anonymity was in 1820

Dictionary Entries Near anonymity

Cite this Entry

“Anonymity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/anonymity. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

anonymity

noun
an·​o·​nym·​i·​ty ˌan-ə-ˈnim-ət-ē How to pronounce anonymity (audio)
plural anonymities
: the quality or state of being anonymous

More from Merriam-Webster on anonymity

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