anonymous

adjective

anon·​y·​mous ə-ˈnä-nə-məs How to pronounce anonymous (audio)
Synonyms 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
anonymousness noun

Synonyms of anonymous

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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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Gorman told the Tribune that her campaign received an anonymous tip advising her team to request video footage from security cameras in Hoffenberg’s office. — Dan Petrella, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026 In 2025, The Information reported that Apple TV was Apple’s only service offering that wasn’t profitable, and, per an anonymous employee, it wasn’t expected to be so for at least its first 10 years. — Scharon Harding, ArsTechnica, 28 Aug. 2026 The display is clear enough to read from across a room, small enough to sit unobtrusively on a desk or kitchen bench, and far more interesting than another anonymous black LCD clock. — New Atlas, 27 Aug. 2026 Many accounts posting these images are verified on X and appear to be anonymous. — José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 27 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for anonymous

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of anonymous was in 1625

Rhymes for anonymous

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Browse Nearby Words

anonymize
anonymous
anonymously
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Cite this Entry

“Anonymous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/anonymous. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Kids Definition

anonymous

adjective
anon·​y·​mous ə-ˈnän-ə-məs How to pronounce anonymous (audio)
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

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