Legal Definitions - incognito

Incognito describes the state of someone intentionally concealing their true identity or name. This is often done to avoid recognition, maintain privacy, or operate without drawing attention to who they truly are.

Here are some examples illustrating the use of "incognito":

• A world-renowned chef, tired of constant public scrutiny, decided to dine at a new restaurant incognito. He wore a simple hat and glasses, booked the reservation under an assumed name, and hoped to enjoy the meal without being recognized by the staff or other patrons.

  This example shows the chef deliberately hiding his famous identity to experience the restaurant as an ordinary customer, thereby avoiding special treatment or attention.

• During a sensitive corporateacquisition, the CEO of the acquiring company visited the target company's facilities incognito. Posing as a consultant from a different firm, she was able to observe the daily operations and employee morale firsthand without causing alarm or revealing her true intentions.

  Here, the CEO adopted a false identity to gather information discreetly, preventing employees from altering their behavior due to her presence and true role.

• Many internet browsers offer an "incognito mode" or "private browsing" option. When a user activates this feature, their browsing history, cookies, and site data are not saved locally on their device. This allows them to visit websites incognito, meaning their online activity during that session is not easily traceable back to their usual browsing profile on that specific computer.

  This illustrates a digital application of the term, where a user chooses to browse the internet without leaving a digital footprint that links back to their personal identity on their device.