anonymity

noun

an·​o·​nym·​i·​ty ˌa-nə-ˈni-mə-tē How to pronounce anonymity (audio)
plural anonymities
Synonyms of anonymity
1
: the quality or state of being anonymous
enjoyed the anonymity of life in a large city
2
: one that is anonymous
a crowd of faceless anonymities

Synonyms of anonymity

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of anonymity in a Sentence

They are trying to protect their child's anonymity. She enjoyed the anonymity of life in a large city.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Kessler, a restricted free agent, is set to sign a four-year, $130 million deal with the Lakers, according to a league source who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the deal is not finalized. — Tony Jones, New York Times, 1 July 2026 He has not been contacted by the Justice Department about any potential or ongoing probe, according to a person familiar with the matter granted anonymity to speak frankly about the situation. — Sarah N. Lynch, CBS News, 30 June 2026 Top Israeli security officials convened a meeting on the subject on Wednesday, according to an official who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media. — ABC News, 28 June 2026 Venturella is expected to stay on as the acting director until Schroyer is confirmed, according to a Homeland Security official speaking on condition of anonymity. — Ali Swenson, Los Angeles Times, 28 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for anonymity

Word History

Etymology

anonym(ous) + -ity

First Known Use

1820, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of anonymity was in 1820

Phrases Containing anonymity

Rhymes for anonymity

See All Rhymes for anonymity

Browse Nearby Words

anonym
anonymity
anonymize
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Anonymity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/anonymity. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

anonymity

noun
an·​o·​nym·​i·​ty ˌan-ə-ˈnim-ət-ē How to pronounce anonymity (audio)
plural anonymities
: the quality or state of being anonymous

More from Merriam-Webster on anonymity

Nglish: Translation of anonymity for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All