identity card

American

noun

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

identity card British

noun

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of identity card

First recorded in 1895–1900

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.

One even sent a copy of his identity card.

From Barron's • Jun. 5, 2026

"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

This contains people's core documents such as passport, identity card and drivers' licence.

From BBC • Apr. 1, 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

He glances at my identity card, then up at my LDV armband, with his schoolboy smirk.

From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023