authentication
Americannoun
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the act or process of establishing something as genuine or authoritative.
The requisite authentication was performed on each piece before it was donated to the museum.
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Also called electronic authentication. Digital Technology. the act or process of establishing identity and verifying permission to access an electronic device or computer network (often used attributively): biometric authentication;
password authentication;
biometric authentication;
authentication credentials.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of authentication
First recorded in 1600–20; authenticat(e) ( def. ) + -ion ( def. )
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The ICO's probe was conducted in coordination with Canada's privacy commissioner and found 23andMe violated UK law by failing to implement appropriate authentication and verification measures for customers during its login process.
From BBC • May 28, 2026
“In an agentic world, value accrues to the platform that controls user intent, personal context, app access, permissions, identity, authentication, payments, and trust,” said BofA’s senior equity research analyst Wamsi Mohan.
From Barron's • May 26, 2026
Since at least the Obama administration, the U.S. had been largely focused on defensive measures to protect elections, like multifactor authentication and encryption, which make it harder to compromise systems in the first place.
From Salon • May 21, 2026
Regulators should instead embrace tools that address emerging risks, including stronger authentication of communications, improved detection and blocking of fraudulent activity, and clearer disclosure when consumers are interacting with AI systems.
From MarketWatch • May 11, 2026
“I mean...I’d like it if all of you started using Tor, maybe set up some two-factor authentication on your devices, took some steps to protect your own privacy.”
From "Anger Is a Gift" by Mark Oshiro
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
