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Meaning & use

personal anonymity

noun·Advancedformal

Last updated

UK/ˌpɜːsənl ˌænəˈnɪməti/
US/ˌpɜːrsənl ˌænəˈnɪməti/

Meanings

  1. noununcountableformal

    The state of keeping one's identity hidden or unknown to others.

    Grammar: Uncountable, so it is not used with 'a' or in the plural; you can say 'a sense of personal anonymity'.

    Patterns

    • maintain personal anonymity
    • protect someone's personal anonymity
    • preserve personal anonymity

    The donor wished to maintain personal anonymity.

    Online forums allow users to preserve their personal anonymity.

    He valued his personal anonymity more than fame.

  2. noununcountable

    The quality of not being known as an individual, especially in a crowd or large organization.

    Grammar: Often used to describe a feeling of being just one of many.

    Patterns

    • a sense of personal anonymity
    • lose one's personal anonymity

    Living in a big city gave her a sense of personal anonymity.

    After the book became a bestseller, she lost her personal anonymity.

    The uniform gave all the workers a feeling of personal anonymity.

Common combinations

maintain personal anonymity
The witness asked to maintain personal anonymity during the trial.
protect someone's personal anonymity
The website promises to protect users' personal anonymity.
lose one's personal anonymity
The actor lost his personal anonymity after the film's success.
a sense of personal anonymity
Walking through the crowded streets gave him a sense of personal anonymity.

Synonyms and how they differ

privacy
This focuses on being free from public attention, while 'personal anonymity' emphasizes that your identity is unknown.
invisibility
This is often figurative and means not being noticed at all, whereas 'personal anonymity' means your name or identity is not known.

Opposites

famerecognitionpublicity

Word family

anonymous adjective
Having a name that is not known or made public.
anonymously adverb
In a way that keeps one's identity secret.

Commonly confused: personal anonymity or anonymity?

personal anonymity vs anonymity

This is the general state of being unknown; 'personal anonymity' stresses that it applies to an individual's identity.

Practice

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