Dictionary

anonymous en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• (US) audio
• /əˈnɒn.ə.məs/ (UK)
• /əˈnɑ.nə.məs/ (Canada, US)
• /əˈnɔn.ə.məs/ (Australia)

Etymology

Borrowed into English around 1600 from Late Latin anonymus, from Ancient Greek ᾰ̓νώνῠμος (ănṓnŭmos, “without name”), from ᾰ̓ν- (ăn-, “un-”) with ὄνῠμᾰ (ónŭmă), Aeolic and Doric dialectal form of ὄνομᾰ (ónomă, “name”). English equivalent anonym + -ous, its full etymology being an- + -onym + -ous.

Meanings

1. (not-comparable) Lacking a name; not named, for example an animal not assigned to any species .
2. (not-comparable) Without any name acknowledged of a person responsible.
   • an anonymous pamphlet
   • an anonymous subscription
   • anonymous author or painter
3. (not-comparable) Of unknown name; whose name is withheld
   • No customer personal data will be retained unless it is rendered anonymous.
   • The shift in the balance of power online has allowed anyone to publish to the world, from dispirited teenagers in south London to an anonymous cyber-dissident in a Middle East autocracy. 2012 April 19, Josh Halliday, “Free speech haven or lawless cesspool – can the internet be civilised?”, in The Guardian:
   • an anonymous benefactor
   • an anonymous author
4. (comparable, figuratively) Lacking individuality.
   • an anonymous office block in a soulless industrial estate

Forms

Antonyms

autonymous · orthonymous · onymous

Coordinates

pseudonymous · no-name

Deriveds

nonanonymous · anonymous proxy · anonymous pipe · anonym · anonymouse · anonymous sculpture · anon · anonymousness · anonymously · anonymous class

Relateds

anomia · anonymal · pseudonymous · John Doe · unknown · anonymize · anonymosity · anonymity

Synonyms

unknown · faceless · unnamed · nameless · on the merits (without consideration of prestige or background) · unidentified

Translations (165)

pl anonimowy (without any name (of responsible agent) acknowledged) · hi अज्ञात (wanting a name, not named and determined) · gd gun urrainn (without any name (of responsible agent) acknowledged) · he אנונימי (without any name (of responsible agent) acknowledged) · gv neuennymagh (of unknown name; whose name is withheld) · fr anonyme (without any name (of responsible agent) acknowledged) · eo sennoma (of unknown name; whose name is withheld) · br dizanv (wanting a name, not named and determined) · sl anonimen (without any name (of responsible agent) acknowledged) · nl anoniem (without any name (of responsible agent) acknowledged) · hu névtelen (wanting a name, not named and determined) · de anonym (without any name (of responsible agent) acknowledged) · pt anônimo (of unknown name; whose name is withheld) · pt anónimo (without consideration of prestige, title, rank or background) · eo sennoma (without any name (of responsible agent) acknowledged) · gv neuennymagh (without any name (of responsible agent) acknowledged) · ru анони́мный (wanting a name, not named and determined) · nl anoniem (of unknown name; whose name is withheld) · sh ȁnonīman (without any name (of responsible agent) acknowledged) · uk безіме́нний (without any name (of responsible agent) acknowledged) · ca anònim (of unknown name; whose name is withheld) · lt bevardis (without any name (of responsible agent) acknowledged) · mk анони́мен (without any name (of responsible agent) acknowledged) · ka ანონიმური (wanting a name, not named and determined) · pt anónimo (lacking individuality) · sv anonym (without any name (of responsible agent) acknowledged) · pt anónimo (of unknown name; whose name is withheld) · ar مَجْهُول (wanting a name, not named and determined) · ia anonyme (lacking individuality) · sv okänd (wanting a name, not named and determined) · uk безіме́нний (wanting a name, not named and determined) · ja 匿名の (wanting a name, not named and determined) · ia anonyme (without any name (of responsible agent) acknowledged) · be безназо́ўны (without any name (of responsible agent) acknowledged) · sv anonymiserad (of unknown name; whose name is withheld) · cmn 佚名 (without any name (of responsible agent) acknowledged) · vi nặc danh (without any name (of responsible agent) acknowledged) · fr anonyme (lacking individuality) · gd gun urrainn (wanting a name, not named and determined) · hy անանուն (without any name (of responsible agent) acknowledged) · da anonym (wanting a name, not named and determined) · ro anonim (of unknown name; whose name is withheld) · cy anhysbys (wanting a name, not named and determined) · ro anonim (without any name (of responsible agent) acknowledged) · pl bezimienny (lacking individuality) · it anonimo (without any name (of responsible agent) acknowledged) · de namenlos (wanting a name, not named and determined) · fi anonyymi (of unknown name; whose name is withheld) · it anonimo (lacking individuality) · cy dienw (without any name (of responsible agent) acknowledged) · mk анони́мен (wanting a name, not named and determined) · sh ȁnonīman (wanting a name, not named and determined) · mk бе́зимен (without any name (of responsible agent) acknowledged) · fo ónevndur (wanting a name, not named and determined) · vi giấu tên (of unknown name; whose name is withheld) · pl bezimienny (wanting a name, not named and determined) · grc ἀνώνυμος (wanting a name, not named and determined) · es anónimo (of unknown name; whose name is withheld) · ru безымя́нный (wanting a name, not named and determined) · pt anônimo (wanting a name, not named and determined) · nb anonym (wanting a name, not named and determined) · cs anonymní (without any name (of responsible agent) acknowledged) · sv anonym (wanting a name, not named and determined) · pt anônimo (without consideration of prestige, title, rank or background) · cs anonymní (of unknown name; whose name is withheld) · sq paemër (of unknown name; whose name is withheld) · pl bezimienny (without any name (of responsible agent) acknowledged) · bg бези́менен (wanting a name, not named and determined) · sh а̏нонӣман (wanting a name, not named and determined) · gl anónimo (wanting a name, not named and determined) · ca anònim (wanting a name, not named and determined) · eo anonima (without consideration of prestige, title, rank or background) · es anónimo (without consideration of prestige, title, rank or background) · ka უსახელო (wanting a name, not named and determined) · cmn 匿名 (wanting a name, not named and determined) · pt anónimo (wanting a name, not named and determined) · vi ẩn danh (without any name (of responsible agent) acknowledged) · fi nimetön (wanting a name, not named and determined) · sh ȁnonīman (of unknown name; whose name is withheld) · ko 익명의 (wanting a name, not named and determined) · da anonym (without any name (of responsible agent) acknowledged) · nl onbenoemd (wanting a name, not named and determined) · hy անանուն (of unknown name; whose name is withheld) · eo anonima (without any name (of responsible agent) acknowledged) · nl naamloos (of unknown name; whose name is withheld) · fi nimetön (lacking individuality) · el ανώνυμος (of unknown name; whose name is withheld) · sk anonymný (of unknown name; whose name is withheld) · be бязыме́нны (wanting a name, not named and determined) · ms tidak bernama (of unknown name; whose name is withheld) · be анані́мны (wanting a name, not named and determined) · fr anonyme (wanting a name, not named and determined) · cy dienw (wanting a name, not named and determined) · it anonimo (of unknown name; whose name is withheld) · hi अनामक (wanting a name, not named and determined) · hy անանուն (wanting a name, not named and determined) · es anónimo (lacking individuality) · lt bevardis (of unknown name; whose name is withheld) · eo anonima (of unknown name; whose name is withheld) · tr adsız (wanting a name, not named and determined) · bg анони́мен (without any name (of responsible agent) acknowledged) · nl naamloos (without any name (of responsible agent) acknowledged) · nl naamloos (wanting a name, not named and determined) · sl anonimen (of unknown name; whose name is withheld) · tr isimsiz (without any name (of responsible agent) acknowledged) · es anónimo (wanting a name, not named and determined) · de anonym (of unknown name; whose name is withheld) · ko 무명 (wanting a name, not named and determined) · ka ანონიმური (of unknown name; whose name is withheld) · he אַלְמוֹנִי (without any name (of responsible agent) acknowledged) · pl bezimienny (of unknown name; whose name is withheld) · fr anonyme (without consideration of prestige, title, rank or background) · vi nặc danh (of unknown name; whose name is withheld) · be безыме́нны (without any name (of responsible agent) acknowledged) · fi nimetön (without any name (of responsible agent) acknowledged) · cmn 無名 /无名 (wanting a name, not named and determined) · eo anonima (wanting a name, not named and determined) · sh а̏нонӣман (without any name (of responsible agent) acknowledged) · gd gun urrainn (of unknown name; whose name is withheld) · tr isimsiz (wanting a name, not named and determined) · bg анони́мен (wanting a name, not named and determined) · pt anônimo (lacking individuality) · lt bevardis (wanting a name, not named and determined) · hu névtelen (of unknown name; whose name is withheld) · tr adsız (without any name (of responsible agent) acknowledged) · ja 無名 (wanting a name, not named and determined) · mk бе́зимен (wanting a name, not named and determined) · el ανώνυμος (without any name (of responsible agent) acknowledged) · cs bezejmenný (wanting a name, not named and determined) · pt anônimo (without any name (of responsible agent) acknowledged) · eo anonima (lacking individuality) · gv neuennymagh (wanting a name, not named and determined) · vi vô danh (of unknown name; whose name is withheld) · da anonym (of unknown name; whose name is withheld) · es anónimo (without any name (of responsible agent) acknowledged) · hi अनाम (wanting a name, not named and determined) · it anonimo (without consideration of prestige, title, rank or background) · ro anonim (wanting a name, not named and determined) · mk анони́мен (of unknown name; whose name is withheld) · sv anonym (of unknown name; whose name is withheld) · ar مَجْهُول (of unknown name; whose name is withheld) · ia anonyme (of unknown name; whose name is withheld) · el ανώνυμος (wanting a name, not named and determined) · vi ẩn danh (of unknown name; whose name is withheld) · bg анони́мен (of unknown name; whose name is withheld) · pl anonimowy (wanting a name, not named and determined) · ca anònim (without any name (of responsible agent) acknowledged) · fr anonyme (of unknown name; whose name is withheld) · uk аноні́мний (wanting a name, not named and determined) · vi vô danh (without any name (of responsible agent) acknowledged) · pl anonimowy (lacking individuality) · ka ანონიმური (without any name (of responsible agent) acknowledged) · pl anonimowy (of unknown name; whose name is withheld) · sq paemër (without any name (of responsible agent) acknowledged) · sk bezmenný (wanting a name, not named and determined) · mk неи́звесен (of unknown name; whose name is withheld) · as নিনাও (wanting a name, not named and determined) · ka სახელდაურქმეველი (wanting a name, not named and determined) · sl anonimen (wanting a name, not named and determined) · da ukendt (wanting a name, not named and determined) · sh а̏нонӣман (of unknown name; whose name is withheld) · tr anonim (without any name (of responsible agent) acknowledged) · pt anónimo (without any name (of responsible agent) acknowledged) · ia anonyme (without consideration of prestige, title, rank or background) · ru безымя́нный (without any name (of responsible agent) acknowledged)