identity card

American  

noun

• identity cards
  plural

1. a card for identifying the bearer, giving name, address, and other personal data.

---

identity card British  

noun

1. a card that establishes a person's identity, esp one issued to all members of the population in wartime, to the staff of an organization, etc

---

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• identity cards
  plural

Etymology

Origin of identity card

First recorded in 1895–1900

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

identity card

"I am a Pakistani, but I don't have my identity card," another 22-year-old Bengali, Ahmed, told AFP.

From Barron's ● Feb. 23, 2026

Hussain Ahmed, 20, whose family lives in Machhar Colony, one of Karachi's largest slum areas where most of the population is comprised of Bengalis, does not have Pakistani nationality or an identity card.

From Barron's ● Feb. 23, 2026

Citizens can continue to use national identity card if they choose, which has been standard for decades in Switzerland.

From BBC ● Sep. 28, 2025

Security expert and writer Edward Lucas proudly showed off his Estonian identity card, telling the meeting he was the first person to be issued with one.

From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2025

I slowly unbuttoned my coat and withdrew my identity card from the pocket.

From "Salt to the Sea" by Ruta Sepetys