anonymity

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noun an·o·nym·i·ty \ˌa-nə-ˈni-mə-tē\

Definition of anonymity

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

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See anonymity defined for kids

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 of anonymity from the Web

The opposition official requested anonymity because of safety fears about raising the sensitive subject of Hun Sen’s closest family.

— Washington Post, "Cambodian opposition protests US Embassy’s Facebook post", 3 June 2017
The person spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss Flynn's private interactions with the committee.

— Bloomberg.com, "Flynn Agrees to Provide Documents to Senate Panel: AP", 30 May 2017
Among the suspects arrested in Bordeaux was Sabir Mahfouz Lahmar, who was freed from the U.S. detention center in Cuba in 2009 after France agreed to accept him, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the case.

— lori hinnant, miamiherald, "Ex-Gitmo inmate among 6 detained from French jihadi network", 30 May 2017
The person wasn't authorized to publicly discuss private policy deliberations and insisted on anonymity.

— hope yen and vivian salama, chicagotribune.com, "Kelly defends plan for Russia back channel as a 'good thing'", 29 May 2017
The person, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said former staffers had been instructed to cooperate with the committee’s inquiry.

— matt apuzzo, The Seattle Times, "Sources: Trump son-in-law talked to Russian envoy about creating secret channel to Kremlin", 26 May 2017
The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to reporters, said the death toll stood at 28 and could rise.

— the associated press, AL.com, "At least 28 killed in ambush attack on Christians in Egypt", 26 May 2017
These days, Parkville does not need bumper stickers advertising its anonymity.

— martha zirschky, kansascity, "From riverboat landing to suburban mecca: Parkville a thriving town in the Northland", 26 May 2017
These revelations came from a highly classified report that was confirmed by three current and former U.S. officials, all of whom claimed anonymity for fear of prosecution.

— lilian min, Cosmopolitan, "Russian Officials Targeted Top Trump Advisers Last Summer, Say U.S. Officials", 25 May 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'anonymity'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.