identity card

American  

noun

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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Etymology

Origin of identity card

First recorded in 1895–1900

Example Sentences

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

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

Officials also stress it will not function like a traditional identity card: people will not be required to carry it in public.

From BBC • Sep. 26, 2025

Ms Siddiq's lawyers previously told the Financial Times: "Tulip has never had a Bangladesh national identity card or voter ID and has not held a passport since she was a child."

From BBC • Aug. 13, 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