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 of anonymous

• 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

Those who wish to remain anonymous can contact Miami-Dade County Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS. —Sofia Saric june 23, Miami Herald, 24 June 2026

Students would search, browse, compare and leave signals along the way, and even anonymous traffic provided some indication of interest. —Aaron Edgell, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026

Amid Report Her ‘Remains’ Are ‘Buried’ in Mexico This latest ransom note twist comes after Buscando Corazones Nogales, a Mexican missing persons group, reported receiving an anonymous tip declaring that Nancy’s remains were buried in an unmarked grave near the Mexican border. —Allison Degrushe, StyleCaster, 23 June 2026

Originally established to support anonymous crime-tip programs, the event has grown to help fund specialized equipment for local law enforcement, provide youth scholarships and educate participants about crime prevention efforts in the community. —Nicole Buss, Sacbee.com, 23 June 2026

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