identification

American  

[ahy-den-tuh-fi-kay-shuhn, ih-den-] / aɪˌdɛn tə fɪˈkeɪ ʃən, ɪˌdɛn- /

noun

• identifications
  plural

1. an act or instance of identifying; the state of being identified.

   Synonyms:

   affiliation, connection, association

2. something that identifies a person, animal, or thing.

   He carries identification with him at all times.

3. Sociology. acceptance as one's own of the values and interests of a social group.

4. Psychology.

   1. a process by which one ascribes to oneself the qualities or characteristics of another person.

   2. (in psychoanalytic theory) the transference or reaction to one person with the feelings or responses relevant to another, as the identification of a teacher with a parent.

   3. perception of another as an extension of oneself.

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identification British  

/ aɪˌdɛntɪfɪˈkeɪʃən /

noun

1. the act of identifying or the state of being identified

2. 1. something that identifies a person or thing

   2. ( as modifier )

      an identification card

3. psychol

   1. the process of recognizing specific objects as the result of remembering

   2. the process by which one incorporates aspects of another person's personality See also empathy

   3. the transferring of a response from one situation to another because the two bear similar features See also generalization

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonidentification
  noun
• overidentification
  noun
• preidentification
  noun
• reidentification
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• identifications
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of identification

First recorded in 1635–45; identi(fy) + -fication

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Explanation

Identification is what you show when someone wants proof of who you are. When you get pulled over by a cop for speeding, you better have your driver’s license on you as your form of identification! Identification isn’t just the card or passport you carry around in your wallet to prove who you are to others. You can also have an identification with a person if you share common beliefs, traditions, or values; then you can say that you identify with that person. Identification can also mean the process of recognizing or identifying something. You may have to wait to adopt that stray dog until the pound has put the pooch through an identification process, trying to see if he already belongs to another family.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

identification identifications

They can help voters navigate state laws — in Arizona, for instance, a requirement to show an approved form of identification when voting.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 30, 2026

The agency will support member states "from early identification and voluntary return counselling to carrying out return operations and providing reintegration assistance", Brussels said.

From Barron's ● Oct. 27, 2026

Formal identification has yet to take place, but the family of Jim Wither has been informed.

From BBC ● Oct. 25, 2026

By integrating quantum mechanics simulations, machine learning, automated identification of chemical reactions, and models of reaction rates, the approach could help researchers investigate other important industrial processes.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 14, 2026

The man told Cullen that he didn't have any papers of identification or a fishing permit.

From Nazi Saboteurs by Samantha Seiple

In another instance, a model uploaded files to the internet to cite them without being asked by a user that was looking for the names and identifications of lakes larger than 5 million square meters.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 17, 2026

In each of the four new identifications, the researchers found a genetic distance of zero, providing strong evidence that the remains and the living DNA donors share a common ancestor.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 10, 2026

Miles also presented scientific studies on the flaws of eyewitness identifications, and collected DNA evidence didn’t match him, according to the Innocence Center.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 22, 2026

This led to a deeper look into other factors contributing to wrongful convictions, including prosecutorial misconduct and mistaken eyewitness identifications, especially those made by witnesses with different racial backgrounds from the suspects.

From Salon ● Aug. 10, 2026

Faces are a mercy; most identifications come after scrutiny of birthmarks, scraps of clothing, scars.

From "Out of Darkness" by Ashley Hope Pérez

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Related Words

• description
• passport
• recognition
• testimony

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