Meaning & use
anonymiser
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountable
A tool or piece of software that removes personal details from data so that people cannot be identified.
Grammar: Countable: you can use 'a' or 'an' and make it plural ('anonymisers').
Patterns
- use an anonymiser
- run data through an anonymiser
- an anonymiser for something
The company uses an anonymiser to strip names and addresses from customer records before analysis.
Before sharing the dataset, we ran it through an anonymiser to protect the participants' privacy.
Anonymisers are becoming essential tools for researchers who handle sensitive personal information.
Word forms
| plural | anonymisers |
|---|
Common combinations
- use an anonymiser
- We use an anonymiser to clean the data before publishing it.
- run something through an anonymiser
- The files were run through an anonymiser to hide any identifying details.
- anonymiser software
- Anonymiser software can help companies comply with data protection laws.
- a built-in anonymiser
- The app has a built-in anonymiser that works automatically.
Synonyms and how they differ
- de-identifier
- A more formal term for a tool that removes identifying information; it is less common in everyday speech.
- scrubber
- Informal and broader; it can mean any tool that cleans data, not only one that removes personal details.
Word family
Commonly confused: anonymiser or anonymizer?
anonymiser vs anonymizer
This is the American spelling of the same word. Use 'anonymiser' in British English and 'anonymizer' in American English.
Practice
Before sharing the survey results, the team used an __________ to remove all names and email addresses.
Choose one answer.
The sentence needs a noun for a tool, so 'anonymiser' is correct. 'Anonymise' is a verb, 'anonymisation' is the process, and 'anonymous' is an adjective.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “anonymiser”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.