authentication

American  

[aw-then-ti-key-shuhn] / ɔˌθɛn tɪˈkeɪ ʃən /

noun

1. 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.

2. 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.

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Other Word Forms

• reauthentication noun

Etymology

Origin of authentication

First recorded in 1600–20; authenticat(e) ( def. ) + -ion ( def. )

Example Sentences

The process works much like two-factor authentication on a banking website.

From Science Daily • Apr. 2, 2026

"Nature is a great choice from a banknote authentication perspective and means we can showcase the UK's rich and varied wildlife on the next series of banknotes," she added.

From Barron's • Mar. 12, 2026

That’s led to security concerns, as cybersecurity company Wiz identified a database misconfiguration in early February that left 1.5 million API authentication tokens, 35,000 email addresses and private messages between agents exposed.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 10, 2026

A Louboutin crossbody bag, Isabel Marant goods and Chanel handbags are flagged for manual authentication.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 21, 2026

From now on, wherever he went, he’d be closely trailed by a military aide carrying a forty-five-pound briefcase containing launch authentication codes and sophisticated communications devices, often referred to as the nuclear football.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama

Related Words

• certification
• verification