identity crisis
Americannoun
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a period or episode of psychological distress, often occurring in adolescence but sometimes in adulthood, when a person seeks a clearer sense of self and an acceptable role in society.
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confusion as to goals and priorities.
The company is undergoing an identity crisis.
Etymology
Origin of identity crisis
First recorded in 1950–55
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 loss led head coach Julian Nagelsmann to resign and plunged German football into a full-scale identity crisis.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
According to Rebecca Nagle, a citizen of Cherokee Nation, a writer and journalist, and the host of the new podcast First America, the Founding Fathers initially faced an identity crisis.
From Slate ● Jul. 3, 2026
Most Angelenos know Frank Gehry as the rebel architect whose deconstructivist buildings reinvigorated L.A. amid its late-century identity crisis.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 17, 2026
Nike stock has hit a 12-year low, in part because of an identity crisis: Some investors say it has strayed too far from performance sneakers into fashion.
From Barron's ● Apr. 16, 2026
Spring has decided to go through an identity crisis and get chilly on me.
From "The Hate U Give" by Angie Thomas
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.
