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  • id
    id
    noun
    the part of the psyche, residing in the unconscious, that is the source of instinctive impulses that seek satisfaction in accordance with the pleasure principle and are modified by the ego and the superego before they are given overt expression.
  • ID
    ID
    noun
    a means of identification, as a card or bracelet containing official or approved identification information.
  • I'd
    I'd
    contraction of I had:
  • -id
    -id
    a suffix of nouns that have the general sense “offspring of, descendant of,” occurring originally in loanwords from Greek (Atreid; Nereid ), and productive in English on the Greek model, especially in names of dynasties, with the dynasty's founder as the base noun (Abbasid; Attalid ), and in names of periodic meteor showers, with the base noun usually denoting the constellation or other celestial object in which the shower appears (Perseid ).
  • id.
    id.
    abbreviation
    idem.
  • Id.
    Id.
    abbreviation
    Idaho.
  • ID.
    ID.
    abbreviation
    (in Iraq ) dinar; dinars.
  • I.D.
    I.D.
    abbreviation
    identification.
Synonyms

id

1 American  
[id] / ɪd /

noun

Psychoanalysis.
ids plural
  1. the part of the psyche, residing in the unconscious, that is the source of instinctive impulses that seek satisfaction in accordance with the pleasure principle and are modified by the ego and the superego before they are given overt expression.


ID 2 American  
[ahy-dee] / ˈaɪˈdi /

noun

  1. a means of identification, as a card or bracelet containing official or approved identification information.


verb (used with object)

ID'd, IDed, ID'ed, ID'ing, IDing
  1. to identify.

  2. to issue an ID to.

    Go to the admissions office if you haven't been ID'd yet.

ID 3 American  

abbreviation

  1. Idaho (approved especially for use with zip code).

  2. infectious disease.

  3. inner diameter, internal diameter, or inside diameter. Also i.d.

  4. intellectual disability.

  5. intelligent design.


I'd 4 American  
[ahyd] / aɪd /
  1. contraction of I had:

    I'd never seen anything like it before!

  2. contraction of I would:

    If I were you, I'd be careful what I wish for.


-id 5 American  
  1. a suffix of nouns that have the general sense “offspring of, descendant of,” occurring originally in loanwords from Greek (Atreid; Nereid ), and productive in English on the Greek model, especially in names of dynasties, with the dynasty's founder as the base noun (Abbasid; Attalid ), and in names of periodic meteor showers, with the base noun usually denoting the constellation or other celestial object in which the shower appears (Perseid ).


-id 6 American  
  1. a suffix occurring in English derivatives of modern Latin taxonomic names, especially zoological families and classes; such derivatives are usually nouns denoting a single member of the taxon or adjectives with the sense “pertaining to” the taxon: arachnid; canid .


-id 7 American  
  1. variant of -ide: lipid .


-id 8 American  
  1. a suffix occurring in descriptive adjectives borrowed from Latin, often corresponding to nouns ending in -or1 : fetid; humid; pallid .


id. 9 American  

abbreviation

  1. idem.


Id. 10 American  

abbreviation

  1. Idaho.


ID. 11 American  

abbreviation

  1. (in Iraq ) dinar; dinars.


I.D. 12 American  

abbreviation

  1. identification.

  2. identity.

  3. Military. Infantry Division.

  4. Intelligence Department.


-id 1 British  

suffix

  1. indicating the names of meteor showers that appear to radiate from a specified constellation

    Orionids (from Orion)

  2. indicating a particle, body, or structure of a specified kind

    energid

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

-id 2 British  

suffix

  1. a variant of -ide

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

ID 3 British  

abbreviation

  1. Idaho

  2. identification (document)

  3. Also: i.d.  inside diameter

  4. Intelligence Department

  5. Also: i.d.  intradermal

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

id. 4 British  

abbreviation

  1. idem

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

-id 5 British  

suffix

  1. indicating members of a zoological family

    cyprinid

  2. indicating members of a dynasty

    Seleucid

    Fatimid

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

id 6 British  

abbreviation

  1. Indonesia

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Id. 7 British  

abbreviation

  1. Idaho

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

id 8 British  
/ ɪd /

noun

  1. psychoanal the mass of primitive instincts and energies in the unconscious mind that, modified by the ego and the superego, underlies all psychic activity

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

I'd 9 British  
/ aɪd /

contraction

  1. I had or I would

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

id Cultural  
  1. In Freudian theory, the part of the psyche associated with instinctual, repressed, or antisocial desires, usually sexual or aggressive. In its efforts to satisfy these desires, the id comes into conflict with the social and practical constraints enforced by the ego and superego. (See also pleasure principle.)


Usage

See contraction.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

Etymology

Origin of id1

1920–25; < Latin id it, as a translation of German Es, special use of es it, as a psychoanalytic term

Origin of ID2

First recorded in 1935–40

Origin of I'd4

First recorded in 1590–1600

Origin of -id5

< Latin -id-, stem of -is < Greek: feminine patronymic suffix; or < Latin -idēs < Greek: masculine patronymic suffix

Origin of -id6

< Greek -idēs -id 1, as singular of New Latin -ida -ida or -idae -idae

Origin of -id8

From the Latin suffix -idus

Origin of I.D.12

First recorded in 1950–55

Explanation

Use the word id when you talk about the most basic, impulsive part of a person's mind. A baby's instincts for food and comfort, for example, are controlled by her id. In psychology, particularly in psychoanalysis, the mind is divided into three basic parts. The most instinctive of these is the id, the drives for pleasure, food, sex, and aggression. The id is the most chaotic and least organized part of the mind, controlled in a healthy person by the ego and superego. The word id is a Latin translation of the "Es" in Sigmund Freud's "Das Ich und das Es." Both Es and id mean "it."

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing id

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.

See Examples For:

So what was it like for you creating this character that was almost like your id unleashed?

From Los Angeles Times Jun. 18, 2026

His evocative depictions of forest scenes are stunning in their own right, hypnotically expressive and made to tickle your id, unearthing deeply rooted primal sensations.

From The Wall Street Journal Mar. 20, 2026

You can also get your fossil identified by sending pictures to the British Geological Survey or the Natural History Museum id unit.

From BBC Feb. 19, 2026

Unleashed desire for things like vengeance readily leak over into other id fantasies.

From Slate Dec. 18, 2024

I headed north for three blocks and then I walked for what I figured to be about half a mile, but didn’t li id no Red Apple Diner.

From "Life Is So Good" by George Dawson

Andrew Willis was a producer at ID software, the hugely influential studio that produced legendary series Wolfenstein, Doom and Quake.

From BBC Jul. 15, 2026

The officers took their positions and scanned my ID, boarding pass and carry-on bags.

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 15, 2026

He had earlier refused to sign it in protest over Congress's failure to pass voter ID legislation but did not veto the housing bill.

From BBC Jul. 11, 2026

After Ying’s arrest, officials also found a fake California ID with the name of “Austin Chen” and two library cards with the names “Jason Wang” and “Austin Chen.”

From Los Angeles Times Jul. 9, 2026

You have her ID, you know her name.

From "Code Name Verity" by Elizabeth Wein

He added: "What I'd say is there's plenty of work to do."

From Barron's Jul. 15, 2026

“We’re all professionals, so it’s not something I think was too difficult to be separate once we kind of got over the initial announcement that I’d be back in the team,” Balogun said.

From Los Angeles Times Jul. 14, 2026

"If Scotland were playing anybody else in the world apart from England I'd be supporting them," MP Karl Turner posted, external.

From BBC Jul. 14, 2026

Instead, I’d advise you to focus on saving aggressively.

From MarketWatch Jul. 14, 2026

I’d put in eight hours at work, part of Sandy June’s early-morning prep crew before we opened at eleven.

From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith

Chrysalis or -id: applied specifically to the intermedial stage between larva and adult in butterflies: see pupa.

From Explanation of Terms Used in Entomology by Smith, John. B.

It was the essential nature of the marriage right, discussed at length in Zablocki, see id., at 383–387, that made apparent the law’s incompatibility with requirements of equality.

From Time Jun. 26, 2015

It was the essential nature of the marriage right, discussed at length in Zablocki, see id., at 383-387, that made apparent the law’s incompatibility with requirements of equality.

From MSNBC Jun. 26, 2015

“If you look at it in Freudian terms, it’s like the id. It’s this unmasked side of ourselves,” he says.

From Time Apr. 17, 2014

The court found that the appellant “plainly manifested,” id. at 17, an expectation that his email would not be scrutinized.

From Forbes Feb. 8, 2011

That of Cesalpini is also explained in Ritter, id. v.

From History of Free Thought in Reference to The Christian Religion by Farrar, Adam Storey

Curtis introduced the manager of the Magic Lantern Cinema of Ketchum, Id., who spoke about being traumatized by John Carpenter’s original “Halloween,” Curtis’ breakout role.

From Los Angeles Times Aug. 27, 2021

Local bans on personal fireworks have also been implemented in Montana's Yellowstone National Park and other cities like Boise, Id. and Santa Fe, N.M., are working to follow suit.

From Fox News Jul. 4, 2021

See a characteristic letter by Sherman on this subject, Id., vol. xxxi. pt. i. p.

From Military Reminiscences of the Civil War, Volume 1 April 1861-November 1863 by Cox, Jacob Dolson

Antipholis, thus Id. conj. a nipping hate Heath conj. unkind debate Collier MS.

From The Comedy of Errors The Works of William Shakespeare [Cambridge Edition] [9 vols.] by Clark, William George

Id., 1st series, chapter 19, and 2nd series, chapter 7.

From Fabre, Poet of Science by Miall, Bernard

Longfellow said, “You already gave me an ID. If it’s fake, you fix it. The Pope is dead, let me mourn.”

From Los Angeles Times May 4, 2025

The DMV recently announced that 11 offices will be open May 3 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. to accommodate customers who want to get the Real ID. before the deadline.

From Los Angeles Times Apr. 24, 2025

“And obviously I couldn't do face ID. So it was a question of having a passcode.”

From BBC Sep. 24, 2024

“You cannot take medical insurance. That’s wild. You cannot get an ID. Without ID, you cannot open a banking account.”

From Seattle Times Dec. 25, 2021

“Everything got very quiet. There was two hundred dollars in it, and all of Bunny’s ID. The policeman who’d found it said, ‘I think we’d better contact this boy’s family.’

From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt

The police identified Khalil Hamilton, 26, as the suspect, and said that he had used his I.D. to book the stay.

From New York Times Oct. 2, 2023

The island’s owners, brothers Andrew, James and Peter Buttle, their company Whakaari Management Ltd. and tour operators I.D.

From Seattle Times Jul. 10, 2023

He returned with my I.D. and a freshly printed ticket, and informed me that I had 15 days to plead not guilty.

From Slate Jun. 21, 2023

The studio motored along, with a new class of top artists such as Jhene Aiko, Lizzo, Marcus Mumford and acclaimed hip-hop producer No I.D. coming through to create.

From Los Angeles Times Mar. 20, 2023

To reschedule his appointment, I'd had to take his I.D. card to the office.

From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover

Like the first silent performers, the animated Minions are mutely expressive ids designed to play like gangbusters around the globe.

From Los Angeles Times Jul. 1, 2026

And that in whatever jazzy afterlife exists for wayward novelists, they’re up there ashing carelessly into their martinis, and letting ids and peckish wildcats run free.

From New York Times Nov. 25, 2023

In the story, that didn’t matter; its currency was “badassery,” a vapid principle many of us worship with our ids.

From Slate Oct. 15, 2018

Working outside the studio system, often on shoestring budgets and on personal projects, they have more leeway to barf their ids up onto the screen, sometimes with deeply bizarre results.

From The Verge Jan. 31, 2018

“Thad, my good sir, is my new medal, which I gall ‘aethereum’ begause of ids wonderful lighdness.

From The Log of the Flying Fish A Story of Aerial and Submarine Peril and Adventure by Browne, Gordon

Investigators later ID’d a 17-year-old as their suspect.

From Los Angeles Times Jul. 16, 2025

I ID’d the Cargylls by consulting various online resources after I watched the episode screener.

From New York Times Oct. 16, 2022

“Anyone can buy, without being carded or ID’d, a can of Reddi-wip or any other canister of whipped cream,” Addabbo told the AP.

From Seattle Times Sep. 2, 2022

You’ve been doing it for the last year or so where people are just walking around ID’d as being Facebook contractors and they’re just capturing what they see with sensors on their glasses.

From The Verge Nov. 1, 2021

“I hadn’t ID’d this as something strange until he asked me,” Emmons recalled.

From Washington Post Jul. 9, 2021

She also ID’ed the man’s hand in the video as her husband’s, according to Newsweek.

From Fox News Jul. 15, 2019

The hacker was first ID'ed as a member of LulzSec last month, when private chat logs were leaked to the press.

From Salon Jul. 21, 2011

But beware of merely ID’ing a tree, snapping a pic and moving on.

From Los Angeles Times Jun. 1, 2023

In a tweet sent Wednesday, Scott-Railton said that details surfaced by other online sleuths had led “to high-confidence ID’ing of more troubling characters” and were referred to the FBI.

From Los Angeles Times Jan. 17, 2021

“As we started ID’ing people,” says Schulte, “we realized there weren’t a lot of people who had moved.”

From Slate Jan. 4, 2012

Zachs with an H and Zacks with a K. All these men have lived in my phone contacts, unceremoniously IDed with the last name “Hinge” like ear tags on cattle monitored for progress.

From Los Angeles Times Oct. 26, 2022

The user also tested it out and found some poor results: “One of my harvestman photos was IDed as a jumping spider, one as a termite, and another one as a crane fly.”

From Slate Jul. 9, 2022

New York State plans to approve as many as three casino licenses for the city, and operators and politicians have IDed Times Square as a potential location.

From Slate May 26, 2022

Kevin Sheekey, the campaign manager, wrote on Twitter that “3 is the total number of NDAs that have been IDed over thirty+ years pertaining directly” to Mr. Bloomberg.

From New York Times Feb. 21, 2020

This must be the vial he’d IDed as Isaac.

From "The Marrow Thieves" by Cherie Dimaline

Another study found that PictureThis worked better than other apps at identifying 17 toxic plants, but it still wasn’t exactly great, IDing 59 percent of them correctly.

From Slate Jul. 9, 2022

Or are some so insulated that they don’t know you don’t have to start every text by IDing yourself?

From Slate Apr. 26, 2018

When campaigns set out to identify voters’ preferences, what canvassers call IDing, they try to reach people on their home phone line or at their doorstep, because that’s where they’re registered to vote.

From Slate May 8, 2012

“Without it you were stuck with somehow IDing these voters.”

From Slate May 8, 2012

Wallace wound up the piece by IDing Gastroenterologist as a virtuoso response to the blue flow and schizoid flip of the Tube in its own terms.

From Slate Mar. 30, 2012

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