# anonymous

> English word · Adjective · IPA /əˈnɒn.ə.məs/ · frequency rank #5,385

## Definitions
1. Lacking a name; not named, for example an animal not assigned to any species .
2. Without any name acknowledged of a person responsible.
3. Of unknown name; whose name is withheld
4. Lacking individuality.

## 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.

## Easily confused with
- **anonymously** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/anonymous-vs-anonymously)

## Common misspellings (13)
`annonymous`, `annoymous`, `anonmyous`, `anonnymous`, `anonymmous`, `anonymosu`, `anonymouss`, `anonymuos`, `anonyomus`, `anonyymous`, `anoynmous`, `aonnymous`, `naonymous`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/anonymous