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
William Styron
anonymousness
noun
Synonyms
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
The anonymous tip came via P3 Tips, a mobile app that can be downloaded on cellphones or accessed via the web to submit anonymous tips to Crime Stoppers programs and law enforcement agencies.
—Karen Kucher, The Mercury News, 13 Nov. 2024
In a shocking but logical end to their brotherhood, Oz strangles Victor Aguilar to death, throws his ID in the river, and leaves his anonymous body to be found by the next passing stranger.
—Andy Andersen, Vulture, 10 Nov. 2024
Premier League clubs are lining up to try and sign FC Barcelona breakthrough star Marc Casado - who has a relatively low $109 million (€100 million) release clause - according to Mundo Deportivo, which cited a report using anonymous sources.
—Tom Sanderson, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
An anonymous user had been intermittently posting bite-size recordings of a discussion between Parks and an unspecified person.
—Nick Sullivan, The Arizona Republic, 5 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for anonymous 
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Karen Kucher, The Mercury News, 13 Nov. 2024
In a shocking but logical end to their brotherhood, Oz strangles Victor Aguilar to death, throws his ID in the river, and leaves his anonymous body to be found by the next passing stranger.
—Andy Andersen, Vulture, 10 Nov. 2024
Premier League clubs are lining up to try and sign FC Barcelona breakthrough star Marc Casado - who has a relatively low $109 million (€100 million) release clause - according to Mundo Deportivo, which cited a report using anonymous sources.
—Tom Sanderson, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
An anonymous user had been intermittently posting bite-size recordings of a discussion between Parks and an unspecified person.
—Nick Sullivan, The Arizona Republic, 5 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for anonymous
Articles Related to anonymous
Dictionary Entries Near anonymous
Cite this Entry
“Anonymous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/anonymous. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids 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
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