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

• 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 about the case is asked to call police at 704-866-3320 or the Gaston County Crime Stoppers anonymous tips line at 704-861-8000. —Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 23 Aug. 2025

Callers wishing to remain anonymous should contact We-Tip at 1-800-78-CRIME (27463) or go to http://wetip.com. —Charna Flam, People.com, 23 Aug. 2025

According to sources familiar with the discussions, who wished to remain anonymous to protect relationships, the venue was suggested by Trump’s administration, and Infantino fell into line, despite numerous FIFA officials preferring Las Vegas. —Adam Crafton, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2025

Citing an anonymous source, AP reported that Bolton has not been detained or charged with any crime. —Hugh Cameron, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Aug. 2025

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