Word
anonymous
Phoneticsanony·mous
US/əˈnɑnəməs/
UK/ɐnˈɒnəməs/
Definitions
01name not known or shared
B2 · Upper Intermediate
adj. having a name that is not known or is not made public.
adj. of unknown or undisclosed authorship or identity. Often used when a person chooses to hide their name for privacy or safety.
“The police received an anonymous tip about the robbery from a caller who refused to give their name.”
“The museum received a significant donation from an anonymous benefactor who requested that their identity remain confidential for tax purposes.”
Usage
Usually placed before the noun it describes.
Synonyms
Antonyms
02lacking character
C1 · Advanced Literary
adj. having no special features or character, making it look like everything else.
adj. lacking individual features or distinctive character; unremarkable and easily forgotten.
“The company moved into an anonymous grey office building in the middle of the city.”
“The suburbs were filled with anonymous housing developments that lacked any sense of local history or architectural charm.”
Teaching tip
This sense is more abstract; it suggests that something is so plain that it has no 'identity' of its own.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “anonymous” in context.
Verb
01. keep someone anonymous
“The journalist promised to keep the whistleblower anonymous to protect their safety.”
verb + noun + adj
02. remain anonymous
“The donor has requested to remain anonymous to avoid public attention.”
verb + adj
Adjective
03. anonymous donor
“A generous anonymous donor provided the funding for the new library wing.”
adj + noun
04. anonymous tip
“The police acted on an anonymous tip regarding the location of the stolen goods.”
adj + noun
05. strictly anonymous
“The survey is strictly anonymous, so please answer the questions honestly.”
adv + adj
Preposition
06. on condition of remaining anonymous
“The witness spoke to the press on condition of remaining anonymous.”
prep + noun + prep
Real-World Examples
“But someone has discovered her past and is sending anonymous letters, and when the elderly man next door dies unexpectedly, she becomes the prime suspect.” “He announced that the jury would be anonymous, with the names only available to lawyers and other parties on the case.” “An anonymous and ultra-disaffected “weapons engineer” is tooling up to settle his score with society.” “It's a familiar experience: racing against masses of anonymous netizens online to get yourself on the list for an in-demand event.” 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.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
ADVERB
Related words
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Common
- Level
- C1 · AdvancedOxford
- Updated
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