51Թ

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View synonyms for

anonymous

[uh-non-uh-muhs]

adjective

  1. without any name acknowledged, as that of author, contributor, or the like.

    an anonymous letter to the editor; an anonymous donation.

  2. of unknown name; whose name is withheld.

    an anonymous author.

  3. lacking individuality, unique character, or distinction.

    an endless row of drab, anonymous houses.



anonymous

/ əˈnɒnɪməs, ˌænəˈnɪmɪtɪ /

adjective

  1. from or by a person, author, etc, whose name is unknown or withheld

    an anonymous letter

  2. having no known name

  3. lacking individual characteristics; unexceptional

  4. (often capital) denoting an organization which provides help to applicants who remain anonymous

    Alcoholics Anonymous

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Other 51Թ Forms

  • anonymousness noun
  • anonymously adverb
  • nonanonymousness noun
  • anonymity noun
  • ˈԴDzԲ⳾dzܲ adverb
  • ˈԴDzԲ⳾dzܲԱ noun
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51Թ History and Origins

Origin of anonymous1

First recorded in 1595–1605; from Latin ōԲ⳾ܲ, from Greek ṓn⳾Dz, equivalent to an- an- 1 + -ōԲ⳾() (variant of óԲ⳾ ) -onym (earlier (a)n- with vowel lengthening; anopheles ) + -os adjective suffix; -ous
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51Թ History and Origins

Origin of anonymous1

C17: via Late Latin from Greek ōԳܳDz, from an- + onoma name
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

The rockers have recently had their first number one album and have developed a huge following with breakout viral hits - all while remaining anonymous behind custom-designed masks.

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Users are anonymous, which can often lead to extreme content being posted.

From

The tale was made into an award-winning film in 1973, staring Edward Fox as the anonymous gunman.

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"He should not have continued working at that school but he did, which tells you they didn't do anything," one anonymous mother said.

From

Paradoxically, that way of thinking belongs specifically to storytellers like King, who make up whole yarns about anonymous humans on the street.

From

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When To Use

What does anonymous mean?

Anonymous means that a person’s name or identity has not been revealed or given or has been withheld, as in an anonymous donor or an anonymous tip or Survey respondents will remain anonymous. Example: My source insists on remaining anonymous—they fear they would be punished for providing information if they were to be identified. There are many reasons why a person might want to be anonymous. A vote might be done anonymously to protect voters or to encourage them to give an honest vote even if it might be unpopular. Reporters will attribute information to anonymous sources to protect them from political or other retribution. Some people prefer to be anonymous online.The noun anonymity refers to the state of being anonymous. The word anonymous is prominently used in the name of the organization Alcoholics Anonymous, which encourages anonymity among its members. Another well-known use of the word is in the name of the modern hacker collective that calls itself Anonymous. The group’s name refers to the fact that members’ identities are unknown both to the public and other members, who rarely use their real names.  Less commonly, anonymous can be used in situations in which no name is acknowledged, such as with the authorship of a book, as in The popular book was written by an anonymous author. A more figurative sense of anonymous is used to describe something lacking any unique character, as in We live in some anonymous suburb.

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