incognito

/ˌɪnkɒɡˈniːtoʊ/

Etymology

Borrowed from Italian incognito, from Latin incognitus (“unknown”), from in- (“not”) + cognitus (“known”), perfect passive participle of cognoscere.

incognito means Without being known; in an assumed character, or under an assumed title; in disguise. Lexicurio rates it Distinctive — a strength score of 62 out of 100.

Why this word is great

INCOGNITO — [Adjective, Adverb, Noun] Having one's identity concealed, often by disguise or an assumed name. From the Italian incognito, from the Latin incognitus ("unknown"), from in- ("not") + cognitus ("known"), the past participle of cognoscere ("to know"). Unlike "anonymous," which suggests a passive lack of attribution, or "pseudonymous," which denotes a literary alias, "incognito" implies a deliberate, performative act of self-erasure enacted in the physical world. It is the celebrity's dark glasses in a diner, the spy's unremarkable suit in a crowded plaza, and the specific, temporary warmth of a hotel room key held in a hand that is, for the moment, nobody's—a fragile, human covenant with obscurity, a fleeting truce negotiated between the self and the world.

adj

Without being known; in an assumed character, or under an assumed title; in disguise.“THE Scepticks think 'twas long ago, / Since Gods came down Incognito; / To ſee who were their Friends or Foes, / And how our Actions fell or roſe.”

adv

Without revealing one's identity.“The prince royal of Prussia came thither incognito.”

noun

One unknown or in disguise, or under an assumed character or name.
The assumption of disguise or of a feigned character; the state of being in disguise or not recognized.“Of those letters, and other attempts of the same kind, the author could not complain, though his incognito was endangered. He had challenged the public to a game at bo-peep, and if he was discovered in his “hiding-hole,” he must submit to the shame of detection.”