anonymous

adjective

ə-ˈnä-nə-məs How to pronounce anonymous (audio)
Definition of anonymousnext
1
as in one
known but not named I heard the news from a person who will remain anonymous

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in unnamed
not named or identified by a name a beautiful manuscript illuminated by an anonymous medieval monk

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of anonymous Speaking to People on August 7, an anonymous source disputed Stewart’s retelling of her encounter with Meghan. — Hannah Malach, InStyle, 7 Aug. 2026 Demand from outside investors was often heavy enough that employees who asked to sell got cut back to a single-digit percentage of their position, the former employee told Fortune, asking to remain anonymous owing to the nature of his work now. — Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 7 Aug. 2026 But that’s not what made the duchess decide to hit back publicly by having an anonymous member of her team leak a statement to People and other media outlets. — Martha Ross, Mercury News, 7 Aug. 2026 Cyclosporiasis is spreading—an anonymous source told the New York Times that the CDC has linked the outbreak to six more states (Arkansas, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire and North Carolina), bringing the total states affected to 15. — Sam Stone, Bon Appetit Magazine, 7 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for anonymous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for anonymous
  1. one
  2. unnamed
  3. unidentified
Adjective
  • Drinkwater didn't make one appearance in a Chelsea shirt last season, whilst Bakayoko spent the season in Italy on loan at AC Milan.
    — SI.com, SI.com, 3 Aug. 2019
  • Decisions made by engineers today, in other words, will determine not how one car drives but how all cars drive.
    — Johannes Himmelreich, BostonGlobe.com, 30 Mar. 2018
Definition of one
Adjective
  • Leo Woodall’s brash cook Sal blends Dmitri from Kitchen Confidential with the unnamed sous chef Bourdain later describes working with in New York.
    — Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 11 Aug. 2026
  • The unnamed album, from 5&2 Studios and Capitol Christian Music Group, is set to debut in the fall.
    — Lori A Bashian , Larry Fink, FOXNews.com, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of unnamed
Adjective
  • He was seized by three unidentified men, who later headed toward the western Tillaberi region of Niger, where Islamist militants are active, Reuters news agency reported at the time, citing an unnamed diplomat.
    — Lex Harvey, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Yonhap news agency, citing South Korea’s military, reported that North Korea fired an unidentified projectile off North Korea’s east coast.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of unidentified

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Cite this Entry

“Anonymous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/anonymous. Accessed 15 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on anonymous

Nglish: Translation of anonymous for Spanish Speakers

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