identity crisis
Americannoun
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a period or episode of psychological distress, often occurring in adolescence but sometimes in adulthood, when a person seeks a clearer sense of self and an acceptable role in society.
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confusion as to goals and priorities.
The company is undergoing an identity crisis.
Etymology
Origin of identity crisis
First recorded in 1950–55
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.
The loss led head coach Julian Nagelsmann to resign and plunged German football into a full-scale identity crisis.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
According to Rebecca Nagle, a citizen of Cherokee Nation, a writer and journalist, and the host of the new podcast First America, the Founding Fathers initially faced an identity crisis.
From Slate ● Jul. 3, 2026
The show needs to be having an identity crisis.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 11, 2026
“We face this identity crisis every time we’re paired up with New York,” said Ashley Koning, the director of Rutgers University’s Eagleton Center for Public Interest Polling.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 17, 2026
My grandmother's identity crisis is fascinating and frightening at the same time, like a slasher movie you can't stop watching.
From "You Bring the Distant Near" by Mitali Perkins
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
