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

"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

Costa, whose family hails from Goa, proudly flashed his Indian identity card at a press conference where Modi celebrated him as "the Gandhi of Lisbon".

From Barron's • Jan. 28, 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

Second, those who relocate with their families, build lives in India, and often obtain the identity card, yet retain Nepali citizenship and ties to home, even returning to vote.

From BBC • Sep. 11, 2025

I grabbed my identity card, the one with my false name – Hannie Van de Berg – on it.

From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler