anonymous

Etymology

Borrowed into English around 1600 from Late Latin anonymus, from Ancient Greek ᾰ̓νώνῠμος (anṓnumos, “without name”), from ᾰ̓ν- (an-, “un-”) with ὄνῠμᾰ (ónuma), Aeolic and Doric dialectal form of ὄνομᾰ (ónoma, “name”). English equivalent anonym + -ous, its full etymology being an- + -onym + -ous.

adj

1. (not comparable) Lacking a name; not named, for example an animal not assigned to any species.
2. (not comparable) Without any name acknowledged of a person responsible
   an anonymous pamphlet
   an anonymous subscription
   anonymous author
3. (not comparable) Of unknown name; whose name is withheld
   an anonymous author
   an anonymous benefactor
   No customer personal data will be retained unless it is rendered anonymous.
   The shift in the balance of power online has allowed anyone to publish to the world, from dispirited teenagers in south London to an anonymous cyber-dissident in a Middle East autocracy. April 19, 2012, Josh Halliday, “Free speech haven or lawless cesspool – can the internet be civilised?”, in the Guardian
4. (comparable, figurative) Lacking individuality.
   an anonymous office block in a soulless industrial estate