anonymous

adjective

Sayuh-NON-uh-muhs/əˈnɑ.nə.məs/UK/əˈnɒn.ə.məs/AUS/əˈnɔn.ə.məs/

4 meanings of anonymous

1
adjective
Having a name that is kept secret or not known.
Like a letter with no name signed at the bottom.
The gift came from an anonymous donor who left no note.
Police received an anonymous tip about the robbery.
Similarunknown, unidentified, unnamed
Oppositenamed, known
2
adjective
Made or done without showing who is responsible.
Like a note left on a desk that nobody signed.
She wrote an anonymous letter to the editor.
The painting is anonymous, with no artist's name on it.
Similarunsigned, unattributed, uncredited
Oppositesigned, attributed, credited
3
adjectivefiguratively
Having nothing special that makes it stand out from others.
Like a plain box that looks the same as all the others on the shelf.
The hotel room was bland and anonymous, like every other one.
He worked in a gray, anonymous office building downtown.
Similarfaceless
Oppositedistinctive, individual
4
adjective
Having no name at all, like a creature not yet placed in any group.
Like a new pet you have not picked a name for yet.
The newly found insect stayed anonymous until scientists classified it.
Many small streams on the old map are still anonymous.
Similarnameless
Oppositenamed

Practice

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Origin

It comes from a Greek word meaning "without a name," and came into English around 1600.