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

"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

Citizens can still choose to rely on the national identity card, which has been standard in Switzerland for decades.

From BBC • Sep. 27, 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

As the bus careened down the road, Nguyen realized even though she had a little money with her, she didn’t have her identity card.

From "Boots on the Ground: America's War in Vietnam" by Elizabeth Partridge