identity card

American  

noun

identity cards plural

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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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• identity cards
  plural

Etymology

Origin of identity card

First recorded in 1895–1900

Example Sentences

One even sent a copy of his identity card.

From Barron's • Jun. 5, 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

Last month, the government launched a digital identity card for military veterans to test the concept.

From BBC • Oct. 31, 2025

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

From BBC • Sep. 28, 2025

As I pulled off the sleeve, his pale green identity card peeked out from his interior jacket pocket.

From "Salt to the Sea" by Ruta Sepetys