anonymize

verb

anon·​y·​mize ə-ˈnä-nə-ˌmīz 

variants also British anonymise

anonymized; anonymizing

transitive verb

: to remove identifying information from (something, such as computer data) so that the original source cannot be known : to make (something) anonymous

There's an incredible amount of data in your travel profile. So they improved security and created a sophisticated way to anonymize data.

—Dana Hawkins

anonymization noun

also British anonymisation

ə-ˌnä-nə-mə-ˈzā-shən 

anonymizer noun

also British anonymiser

Examples of anonymize in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The software then anonymizes the entry to protect privacy, and plots a circle in the general area. — Mark Dee, Idaho Statesman, 6 Sep. 2026

All the posts were anonymized to protect any personal information, although unaltered versions were stored on an external hard drive not connected to the cloud. — Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 24 Aug. 2026

Can the information be responsibly anonymized or aggregated while preserving its business value? — Shea Murtaugh, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026

Blesener also photographed youth volleyball tournaments, using disposable film cameras to anonymize those present. — Molly Hensley-Clancy, ProPublica, 13 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

anonym(ous) + -ize

First Known Use

1858, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for anonymize

• actualize
• antagonize
• apologise
• apologize
• capitalize
• categorize
• characterize
• commercialize
• conceptualize
• contrariwise
• criminalize
• decentralize