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

See Examples For:

identity card

Lugging suitcases across the border after packing up in Pakistan, Afghans are returning home with their worldly possessions but often lack one key item to restart their lives: an identity card.

From Barron's ● Jul. 3, 2026

Using his City of London police identity card, Wai threatened to arrest a protester who was campaigning against Hui's visit, even though he had no official policing role that day.

From BBC ● May 7, 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

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

I handed him my identity card and the boarding pass.

From "Salt to the Sea" by Ruta Sepetys