anónimo
/ɐˈnɔ.ni.mu/Portugal
The English word "anonymous" is translated into Portuguese as anónimo.
The term is an adjective used to describe someone whose name is unknown or is being withheld. While you can use anónimo to state that someone is anonymous, other expressions are common depending on the context: Desconhecido is frequently used to mean "unknown," and the expression Não identificado is often seen in official documents or reports to refer to unidentified individuals or sources.
Meaning: of unknown name, whose name is withheld (adj)
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Portugal, the word is spelled anónimo with an acute accent. In Brazil, the spelling changes to anônimo using a circumflex accent.
How does it change in a sentence?
As an adjective, anónimo must agree in gender and number with the noun it modifies. Use anónima for feminine singular nouns, anónimos for masculine plural or mixed-gender groups and anónimas for groups consisting entirely of women or feminine nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has four syllables and the stress is on the second syllable: /ɐˈnɔ.ni.mu/.
Did you know?
- The Portuguese word anónimo is a 'learned borrowing' from Late Latin, meaning it was consciously adopted by scholars rather than evolving naturally from Vulgar Latin.
- While anónimo describes the state of being nameless, Portuguese speakers often use the word incógnito when someone is intentionally hiding their identity to avoid being recognized.
- In many digital contexts, such as discussing an anonymous tip, a Portuguese speaker might use the word sigiloso to imply secrecy. While anónimo means the name is unknown, sigiloso implies the name is being intentionally kept hidden for protection.
Examples in context
- Autointitulando-se “anónimos”, os piratas informáticos pretendiam inundar as páginas da empresa com tráfego eletrónico, derrubando o sítio ou, pelo menos, atrapalhando o suficiente de modo a tornar a vida miserável à gigante dos cartões de crédito.Calling themselves "anonymous", the hackers hoped to flood the company's pages with web traffic, crashing the site or at least gumming things up enough to make life miserable for the credit card giant.This sentence is useful for showing how the form anónimo is used when referring to a group of people, such as hackers.Tatoeba #11150885 by Cangarejo, translation #11150883 by Cangarejo
- Eu vi um comentário anônimo nas redes sociais.I saw an anonymous comment on social media.
- A testemunha preferiu permanecer anônima para sua própria segurança.The witness chose to remain anonymous for their own safety.
- Recebi um cartão anónimo hoje.I received an anonymous card today.
- O doador do livro é anónimo.The book donor is anonymous.
Example conversation
Beatriz and Felipe are discussing a mysterious gift left at the office.
- BeatrizViste este presente, Felipe?Did you see this gift, Felipe?
- FelipeSim, mas o remetente é anónimo.Yes, but the sender is anonymous.
- BeatrizQue estranho, quem terá enviado?How strange, who could have sent it?
- FelipeNão faço a menor ideia, Beatriz.I have no idea, Beatriz.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “anonymous” translations and entries anónimo, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries anónimo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
