identity card

American  

noun

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

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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

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Etymology

Origin of identity card

First recorded in 1895–1900

Example Sentences

"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

Officials also stress it will not function like a traditional identity card: people will not be required to carry it in public.

From BBC • Sep. 26, 2025

He was treated well, he said, but when he and other officers went back weeks later to claim an identity card, they were told to await instructions.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 23, 2025

My identity card said Resettler, indicating that Germany had allowed me to repatriate from Lithuania.

From "Salt to the Sea" by Ruta Sepetys