What does anon mean?
Anon is an adverb meaning 'soon' or 'shortly,' best known today as a marker of archaic or literary style: characters in Shakespeare say 'I come anon' to mean they are on their way at once. The word descends from Old English 'on ān,' meaning 'in one' moment, making it a remarkably durable survival from the earliest strata of the language. Though rare in everyday conversation now, it persists in two lively forms: the fixed expression 'ever and anon,' meaning 'from time to time,' and internet slang, where 'anon' denotes an anonymous poster on forums and imageboards. Writers reach for it when they want dialogue to sound quaint, courtly, or period-authentic, and readers meet it constantly in classic literature. It is a small word that carries a large freight of history — part medieval timekeeping, part modern anonymity.
adverbSoon; in a short time; shortly afterward. Now largely archaic or literary, though it survives as internet shorthand for 'anonymous.'
- (archaic or literary) Soon; in a little while; shortly.
- (internet slang) Short for 'anonymous': an unidentified person, especially on forums such as 4chan.
""I shall return anon," she said, sweeping out of the room."
""Dinner will be served anon," the host announced with theatrical formality."
"The reply came not from a named official but from an anonymous poster — simply 'anon' on the message board."
When Shakespeare's characters say 'I come anon,' they're using a word that began life over a thousand years ago as the plain Old English phrase 'on ān' — literally 'in one' single moment.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of anon
Anon comes from Old English 'on ān,' meaning 'in one' — that is, in one instant or straightway — which contracted into a single word by the Middle English period. It shares its ultimate root with words built on the Germanic stem behind 'one,' such as 'alone' (originally 'all one') and 'atone' (originally 'at one'). The temporal sense 'soon' was common through the Renaissance and gradually faded into archaic or literary use. Its modern use as shorthand for 'anonymous' is a separate, twentieth-century development from clipping the longer word.
How anon is actually used
In its temporal sense, 'anon' sounds deliberately old-fashioned, quaint, or mock-formal in modern speech; it appears mostly in historical fiction, fantasy, and playful pastiche. The fixed phrase 'ever and anon' ('now and then') survives in somewhat literary register. In digital contexts, 'anon' as short for 'anonymous' is entirely separate in origin of use, though it has absorbed the same spelling.
Easily confused with anon
'Anonymous' is an adjective describing an unnamed person or source, while 'anon' as an adverb means 'soon,' though online 'anon' is also slang for an anonymous person.
'Non-' is a prefix meaning 'not,' whereas 'anon' is a word meaning 'soon' — they share letters but nothing else.