Anonymity
/ˌænəˈnɪmɪti/
nounIntermediateCommonGeneral
Meaning
Question
Definitions
1
The state of being unknown or nameless.
/ˌænəˈnɪmɪti/
nounneutralIntermediate
General
The condition of being unknown or unnamed.
She requested anonymity to protect her identity.
💡 Simply: Being unknown.
More Examples
2
The survey guaranteed anonymity to encourage honest responses.
How It's Used
Legal
"The witness testified under a guarantee of anonymity."
Online
"Many people value anonymity when discussing sensitive topics online."
From Middle French anonymité, from Late Latin anonymitās, from Greek ἀνωνυμία (anōnymía), from ἀνώνυμος (anōnymos) "nameless," from ἀν- (an-) "not" + ὄνομα (ónoma) "name."
The concept of anonymity has existed for centuries, particularly in contexts like whistleblowing and literary works.
Memory tip
Think 'no name' - anonymity means no one knows your name.
Practice
Base: anonymous
anonomityanonimityanomyity
Usage
30%Spoken
70%Written