Definition of anonymous
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
anonymously
adverbanonymousness
nounExplore M-W
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 of anonymous from the Web
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The exhibit, which also features 500 Indo-Pacific Ocean coral community fish, was made possible through a gift from an anonymous donor.
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Strickland’s ex-wife, now named Kimberly Day, gave birth to a son conceived with an anonymous sperm donor.
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Many founders of legitimate blockchain projects have chosen to remain anonymous because of this fear, in turn creating more opportunities for scams.
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That made Spicer’s critique of anonymous sources during his briefing problematic, opening himself and the similarly oft-critical Trump to reporters’ suggestions of hypocrisy.
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In the second story, the driver on Interstate 66 is a friend who wants to remain anonymous.
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The original piece quoted anonymous sources in the FBI with evidence the voters were KGB agents.
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Trump, meanwhile, resumed his Twitter postings from the White House on Sunday and dismissed any story based on anonymous sources.
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Nor was JK2 Westminster quite as anonymous as its opaque name suggested.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'anonymous'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of anonymous
Late Latin anonymus, from Greek anōnymos, from a- + onyma name — more at name
First Known Use: 1563
ANONYMOUS Defined for English Language Learners
anonymous
playDefinition of anonymous for English Language Learners
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: not named or identified
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: made or done by someone unknown
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: not distinct or noticeable : lacking interesting or unusual characteristics
ANONYMOUS Defined for Kids
anonymous
playDefinition of anonymous for Students
1 : not named or identified an anonymous caller
2 : made or done by someone unknown an anonymous phone call
anonymously
adverb A large sum has been anonymously donated.Learn More about anonymous
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See words that rhyme with anonymous Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for anonymous Spanish Central: Translation of anonymous Nglish: Translation of anonymous for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of anonymous for Arabic speakers
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