Pseudonymise

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To disguise the true identity of people or places in a text or dataset by substituting fictitious names for the real ones
2. Replacing actual names with made-up aliases so that individuals cannot be readily recognised in a document or record
3. Concealing the genuine identities of persons or locations by assigning them invented names in place of their own

Etymology: "Pseudonymise" is a plain formation: the noun "pseudonym" with the verb-forming suffix "-ise" added to it. "Pseudonym" itself comes from Greek "pseudonymos", meaning "bearing a false name", built from "pseudēs" ("false") and "onyma" ("name"). The verb therefore means to replace a real name with a false one, and the same root gives "anonym" and "synonym". The "-ise" ending is the British spelling; the "-ize" form is the American equivalent, and both come from Greek "-izein" through Latin and French. Because "pseudonymise" is built on a noun that already existed, it is a straightforward derivation rather than a coinage with a known inventor.

Synonyms: pseudonymize, anonymise, anonymize

Antonyms: identify