incognito

Meanings

1. 1adverbafter a verb

   With your real identity hidden, such as by a disguise or false name.

   Grammar: Comes after the verb: travel incognito.

   Patterns

   • travel incognito
   • go incognito

   The prince traveled incognito to avoid crowds.

   The critic ate incognito at the new restaurant.

   She went incognito, wearing a hat and sunglasses.

2. 2adjectivenot comparable

   Hiding your identity so that others do not know who you are.

   Grammar: Used after be or before a noun: an incognito visit.

   Patterns

   • be incognito
   • an incognito visit

   The singer was incognito at the cafe.

   An incognito inspector visited the school.

   He wanted to stay incognito in the city.

3. 3nouncountable or uncountableformal

   A hidden identity, or a person who is hiding it.

   Grammar: Older use: preserve your incognito.

   Patterns

   • preserve your incognito

   The duke preserved his incognito for a week.

   She cherished her incognito abroad.

   The incognito was broken by a reporter.

4. 4adjectivebefore a nouncomputing

   Describing a private browsing mode that does not save your history.

   Grammar: Used before window, tab or mode.

   Patterns

   • incognito window

   Open an incognito window to compare flight prices.

   Incognito mode does not hide you from your employer.

   She searched in an incognito tab.

Common combinations

travel incognito

The king loved to travel incognito.

remain incognito

The author remained incognito for years.

go incognito

The celebrity went incognito for a day.

incognito mode

Use incognito mode for the shared computer.

strictly incognito

He asked to stay strictly incognito.

Synonyms and how they differ

anonymously

Anonymously means not giving your name, while incognito suggests disguise by someone usually known.

disguised

Disguised describes appearance only, while incognito covers hidden identity in general.

undercover

Undercover implies secret work such as spying or investigation.

unrecognized

Unrecognized is neutral and may be accidental, while incognito is deliberate.

Opposites

Word family

incognita adjective

feminine form, a disguised woman (rare)

cognition noun

mental process of knowing

recognize verb

to know someone by sight

unknown adjective

not identified or familiar

Commonly confused: incognito or anonymous?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “incognito”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

Explore more words