identification

American  

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

noun

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.

---

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

---

Other Word Forms

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

Etymology

Origin of identification

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

Example Sentences

One woman said she felt sick and humiliated when she was challenged to show identification for her guide dog.

From BBC

The bill acknowledges that mixers “obfuscate or eliminate the source or other forms of identification of a digital asset,” but just directs regulators to study whether they pose illicit-finance risks.

From Barron's

They want DHS employees, namely ICE and Customs and Border Protection officers, to unmask and wear clear and visible identification.

From Salon

“Because they’ve not been presented with that problem in the past, they haven’t really developed the necessary scanning and identification technologies that would allow them to do that.”

From The Wall Street Journal

The "volume" of images and videos meant the process of identification took "time, skill and commitment," Detective Acting Chief Superintendent Denzil Clark of Queensland Police said.

From BBC

Related Words

• description
• passport
• recognition
• testimony