anonymously

IPA/əˈnɒnɪməsli/
KK[ənˈɑnəməsli]IPA/əˈnɑːnɪməsli/

anonymously — adverb

1. in a way that hides who wrote, sent, or did something from other people

1.adverbB2
Definition

in a way that hides who wrote, sent, or did something from other people

Example

An employee anonymously reported the safety problem to city inspectors.

anonymously + reported for a formal complaint

The flowers were sent anonymously after Elena left the hospital.

passive: were sent anonymously

Common collocations
  • report anonymously
  • post anonymously
  • donate anonymously
  • send anonymously
  • comment anonymously
Synonyms
  • secretly

    broader; something can be secret even if the person is known

  • privately

    focuses on being away from public view, not specifically on hiding identity

  • confidentially

    suggests restricted sharing of information rather than no name being shown

Antonyms
  • publicly

    in a way that clearly shows who did or said it

  • openly

    without hiding the act or the person behind it

Grammar Patterns

anonymously + verb

be + past participle + anonymously

Usage Note

Often used with verbs such as report, post, donate, or send. In passive clauses, it commonly comes after the past participle: sent anonymously, posted anonymously.

Common Mistakes

I signed the petition anonymously with my full name.
I signed the petition anonymously without writing my name.
If your name appears, the action is not anonymous.

Word family

Etymology

GreekEnglish

Anonymously comes from anonymous plus the adverb ending -ly. Anonymous goes back to Greek anonymos, which literally means 'without a name,' and English has kept that idea of hiding a person's identity.

First known use

1699

1699, in the meaning defined above