German word

anonym

Pronunciation

IPA/anoˈnyːm/

Meaning

  • adjectiveanonymous

Example

Er schickte einen anonymen Brief.

He sent an anonymous letter.

Illustration for anonym (anonymous)

More examples

Die NGO akzeptiert anonyme Spenden.

The NGO accepts anonymous donations.

Core concept

A letter, author, or person stands behind a blank name label while the identity remains concealed.

Common phrases

  • anonyme Spende

    anonymous donation

  • anonyme Hinweise

    anonymous tips

  • anonyme Kommentare

    anonymous comments

Similar words

unbekannt: Not known by name or identity.
inkognito: Concealing an identity while acting without attracting attention.

Definition in German

Ohne Angabe des Namens; so, dass die Identität einer Person nicht genannt oder bekannt ist.

Word origin

The adjective comes from Greek anōnymos, formed from an- meaning 'without' and onyma meaning 'name', through Latin anonymus and later European usage.

Usage tips

  • Before a noun, anonym takes normal adjective endings, as in 'ein anonymer Brief' and 'einen anonymen Brief'.

Other meanings

  • unsignedadjective
  • unidentifiedadjective

Opposites

  • öffentlichpublicadjective
  • identifizierbaridentifiableadjective

Related words

  • Anonymitätanonymitynoun
  • anonymisierenanonymizeverb
  • Anonymisierunganonymizationnoun

Word lists with this word