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.

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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

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

Etymology

Origin of identification

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

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

Such errors have led to the faulty identification of “longevity zones,” areas where supposedly everyone lives longer due to lifestyle or location—but where subsequent studies fail to substantiate the claims.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 5, 2026

"The identification of the green mineral as malachite is still preliminary," explained Tornero.

From Science Daily • Jun. 3, 2026

"Safeguards would still be required... but those safeguards would focus on identification of the person's known wishes and feelings," he added.

From BBC • Jun. 2, 2026

Under current state law, Californians are required to provide identification when registering to vote and must swear under penalty of perjury, a felony, that they are eligible to vote and are U.S. citizens.

From Los Angeles Times • May 31, 2026

Phil Resch asked the stagehand, showing his police identification.

From "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" by Philip K. Dick

Related Words

• description
• passport
• recognition
• testimony