Word
anon
US/ˌæˈnɔn/
UK/ɐnˈɒn/
Definition
adv. short for anonymous, meaning that the person's name is not known or not given. You see this word often online when someone posts without showing their identity.
adv. serving as a shortened form of anonymous; describing a person or entity whose identity is concealed or undisclosed. Common in digital contexts and informal writing.
Examples
“An anon user posted a helpful comment.”
“The anon donor gave money to the school without asking for credit.”
“In the age of social media, anon posting allows users to share controversial opinions without fear of personal backlash.”
Examples
simple
“An anon user posted a helpful comment.”
contextual
“The anon donor gave money to the school without asking for credit.”
complex
“In the age of social media, anon posting allows users to share controversial opinions without fear of personal backlash.”
Usage
Used attributively before a noun or predicatively after a linking verb.
Pitfall
the anon person
the anonymous person
Anon is informal; use anonymous in formal writing.
Etymology
From Middle English anoon, anon, anan (literally “in one (moment)”), from on (“in”) + ān (“one”). See on and one.
Clipping of anonymous.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Domain
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/anon