1 incognito | Definition of incognito
in·​cog·​ni·​to | \ ˌin-ˌkäg-ˈnē-(ˌ)tō also in-ˈkäg-nə-ˌtō How to pronounce incognito (audio) \

Definition of incognito

 (Entry 1 of 2)

: with one's identity concealed

incognito

noun
plural incognitos

Definition of incognito (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : one appearing or living incognito
2 : the state or assumed identity of one living or traveling incognito or incognita

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Synonyms & Antonyms for incognito

Synonyms: Adverb or adjective

anonymous, faceless, innominate, nameless, unbaptized, unchristened, unidentified, unnamed, untitled

Antonyms: Adverb or adjective

baptized, christened, dubbed, named, termed

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Did You Know?

Adverb or adjective

The ancient Greeks and Romans knew that there were times when you didn't want to be recognized. For example, a myth tells how Zeus and Hermes visited a village incognito and asked for lodging. The apparently penniless travelers were turned away from every household except that of a poor elderly couple named Baucis and Philemon, who provided a room and a feast despite their own poverty. The Romans had a word that described someone or something unknown (like the gods in the tale): incognitus, a term that is the ancestor of our modern incognito.

Examples of incognito in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web: Adverb or adjective

So, without a Brazil jersey, my sister-in-law was incognito, until the game stared. Ann Killion, SFChronicle.com, "World Cup double-bill: Mexico ousted by Brazil, but the best game came later," 2 July 2018 Around her chest, a Gucci fanny pack gave her look that subtle edge, while her trucker hat—from the Dogfish Head brewery!—and large sunglasses made the case for going incognito. Vogue, "Katie Holmes and Jamie Foxx Raise the Bar on Off-Duty Couple Style," 16 Apr. 2019 So, without a Brazil jersey, my sister-in-law was incognito, until the game stared. Ann Killion, SFChronicle.com, "World Cup double-bill: Mexico ousted by Brazil, but the best game came later," 2 July 2018 Meanwhile, Rufus and Wyatt go incognito at a nearby plantation to find the sleeper and destroy the Confederate version of Gray’s Sports Almanac. Rachel Kaufman, Smithsonian, "Pilot, Thinker, Soldier, Spy: The Epic “Timeless” Season Finale Twofer," 13 May 2018 The entire visa appointment apparently only took ten minutes, and Markle seemingly tried to go incognito by wearing sunglasses and a White Sox cap the entire time. Lisa Ryan, The Cut, "Why Meghan Markle Went Incognito in Chicago This Week," 12 Apr. 2018 So bad was secession fervor by then that Lincoln traveled incognito, Crofts writes, lest assassins kill him on the way. Avi Selk, Washington Post, "Actually, John Kelly, the failed ‘compromise’ to avoid Civil War would have enshrined slavery," 31 Oct. 2017 But after months of remaining relatively incognito, as his supporters continue to push for the arrest of the other men involved in his attack, Harris became one of the men charged with a crime. Trymaine Lee, NBC News, "Man Attacked in Charlottesville Charged With Assault in Unexpected Turn," 10 Oct. 2017 Go incognito Every major web browser — Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Internet Explorer, Safari, and Opera — has private, or incognito, browsing. Kim Komando, USA TODAY, "How to stop ads from following you online," 6 Oct. 2017

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Skip to main content (Photo: Steven Senne, AP) A Texas high school is warning parents about their kids' incognito vaping habits. Rasha Ali, USA TODAY, "School's PSA to parents on identifying e-cigarettes goes viral: 'You see this watch...it's a vape'," 28 Aug. 2019 Many of the Top Brand badges that had been present in search results WIRED conducted disappeared, including in an incognito browsing window on several different computers, browsers, and phones. Louise Matsakis, WIRED, "What Does Amazon's 'Top Brand' Badge Actually Mean?," 16 Aug. 2019 Worse yet, the super tracking can even overcome the browser's incognito mode. Dan Goodin, Ars Technica, "Kaspersky AV injected unique ID that allowed sites to track users, even in incognito mode," 16 Aug. 2019 Season 2 of The Masked Singer is fast approaching, and as such, Fox is teasing out more first looks at some of its new incognito contestants. Lauren Huff, EW.com, "The Masked Singer season 2 promo shows crazy look at new contestants," 14 Aug. 2019 In an oversized tie-dye T-shirt and sneakers, the star was almost incognito. Vogue, "Kim Kardashian West Takes Dior’s $35k Heavy Metal Saddle Bag to the Streets," 5 Aug. 2019 Tucked in the right-hand corner of Harlem’s legendary Rucker Park, Walker was in incognito mode, wearing all black on a hot summer day. Kristian Winfield, courant.com, "Former UConn star Kemba Walker says he and the Celtics are ‘a perfect fit’," 29 July 2019 Hyland looks so incognito with this cut, in a very chic and cool way. Maya Allen, Marie Claire, "Sarah Hyland Got a Shaggy Lob and Looks Totally Different," 22 Mar. 2019 In Venice, as Peter is about to buy a Black Dahlia necklace for MJ (Zendaya), the villain can be seen in the background spying on the young hero incognito. Nick Romano, EW.com, "Spider-Man: Far From Home," 24 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'incognito.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of incognito

Adverb or adjective

1635, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1638, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for incognito

Adverb or adjective

Italian, from Latin incognitus unknown, from in- + cognitus, past participle of cognoscere to know — more at cognition

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More Definitions for incognito

incognito

adverb

English Language Learners Definition of incognito

: with your true identity kept secret (as by using a different name or a disguise)
in·​cog·​ni·​to | \ ˌin-ˌkäg-ˈnē-tō How to pronounce incognito (audio) , in-ˈkäg-nə-ˌtō\

Kids Definition of incognito

: with someone's identity kept secret He's traveling incognito.

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More from Merriam-Webster on incognito

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with incognito

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for incognito

Spanish Central: Translation of incognito

Nglish: Translation of incognito for Spanish Speakers