What does anonymous mean?
Anonymous describes a person whose name is unknown or deliberately withheld, or a deed, gift, or work carried out without attribution. It derives from Greek roots meaning "without name" and entered English in the early seventeenth century. The word is most familiar from journalism, where an anonymous source provides information without revealing their identity, and from philanthropy, where anonymous donors give without public credit. It also appears in phrases like "anonymous letter" and "remain anonymous." While generally neutral, the word can carry a subtle negative connotation when describing a person as unremarkable or lost in a crowd — an "anonymous face." Its derived forms include the noun anonymity, referring to the state of being unnamed, and the adverb anonymously. Closely related is pseudonymous, which describes a false rather than absent name. Anonymous remains an essential word for discussing privacy, credit, and identity in modern life.
(Of a person) whose name is not known or not disclosed.
"The witness asked to remain anonymous."
Often used attributively before nouns: "an anonymous donor," "an anonymous phone call."
(Of a thing) made, done, written, or given by someone whose name is withheld or unknown.
"The office was flooded with anonymous complaints after the policy change."
The word "anonymous" literally means "without a name" — it comes from Greek roots meaning "no" and "name," so every anonymous donor is, quite literally, nameless by design.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of anonymous
Anonymous comes from Greek anonymos, formed from the negative prefix an- ("without") and onyma ("name"), passing into Latin as anonymus before entering English in the early seventeenth century. It shares its Greek root with words such as pseudonym (a false name) and eponym (a name given to something), all built on the Greek stem for "name." The corresponding noun anonymity developed from the same source.
Related word forms
How anonymous is actually used
Neutral to slightly formal in register; common in journalism ("an anonymous source") and philanthropy. When applied to people, it can occasionally carry a faintly negative shade implying insignificance ("just another anonymous face in the crowd"), though this is context-dependent.
Easily confused with anonymous
"Unanimous" means fully in agreement by everyone, while "anonymous" means having an unknown or undisclosed name — the two words look and sound similar but are unrelated in meaning.