anonymous

English Online Dictionary. What means anonymous‎? What does anonymous mean?

English

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.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /əˈnɒn.ə.məs/
• (US, Canada) IPA^(key): /əˈnɑ.nə.məs/
• (General Australian) IPA^(key): /əˈnɔn.ə.məs/
• Rhymes: -ɒnəməs

Adjective

anonymous (comparative more anonymous, superlative most anonymous)

1. (not comparable) Lacking a name; not named, for example an animal not assigned to any species (clarification of this definition is needed).

   Synonym: nameless

   Coordinate term: no-name

2. (not comparable) Without any name acknowledged of a person responsible.

   Antonyms: autonymous, orthonymous

   Coordinate term: pseudonymous

3. (not comparable) Of unknown name; whose name is withheld

   Synonyms: unidentified, unknown, unnamed
4. (comparable, figurative) Lacking individuality.

   Synonym: faceless

Synonyms

• (without consideration of prestige or background): on the merits

Antonyms

• onymous

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

See also

• anonymous on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• John Doe
• unknown

References

• William Dwight Whitney, Benjamin E[li] Smith, editors (1911), “anonymous”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC.
• “anonymous”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.