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Showing results for identification. Search instead for proper identification.
Synonyms

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

    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

"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

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

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The identification of GPR133 as a key regulator of bone strength opens up a new direction for treatment.

From Science Daily • Apr. 6, 2026

That desire for identification doesn’t appear to extend to being fully identifiable by face.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026

ICE agents would be required to wear identification badges and work without masks, and follow existing laws regarding warrants.

From Salon • Mar. 18, 2026

He showed her a fake BBC lanyard and identification card and on one occasion the woman walked with him to BBC Cymru Wales' headquarters in Central Square where he claimed to work in TV production.

From BBC • Mar. 13, 2026

It didn’t stop with mistaken identification by other Americans.

From "Boots on the Ground: America's War in Vietnam" by Elizabeth Partridge

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.