identification
Americannoun
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an act or instance of identifying; the state of being identified.
- Synonyms:
- affiliation, connection, association
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something that identifies a person, animal, or thing.
He carries identification with him at all times.
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Sociology. acceptance as one's own of the values and interests of a social group.
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Psychology.
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a process by which one ascribes to oneself the qualities or characteristics of another person.
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(in psychoanalytic theory) the transference or reaction to one person with the feelings or responses relevant to another, as the identification of a teacher with a parent.
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perception of another as an extension of oneself.
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noun
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the act of identifying or the state of being identified
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something that identifies a person or thing
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( as modifier )
an identification card
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psychol
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the process of recognizing specific objects as the result of remembering
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the process by which one incorporates aspects of another person's personality See also empathy
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the transferring of a response from one situation to another because the two bear similar features See also generalization
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Other Word Forms
- nonidentification noun
- overidentification noun
- preidentification noun
- reidentification noun
Etymology
Origin of identification
First recorded in 1635–45; identi(fy) + -fication
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 Iranian resident said he was detained by police after an officer stopped and asked for his identification as he wandered on the beach.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026
That desire for identification doesn’t appear to extend to being fully identifiable by face.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026
They evaluated how each substance affected the diseased nerve cells, leading to the identification of sildenafil as a promising candidate.
From Science Daily • Mar. 31, 2026
ICE agents would be required to wear identification badges and work without masks, and follow existing laws regarding warrants.
From Salon • Mar. 18, 2026
Posted outside are two guards who halt me at the door and ask for my identification card.
From "Girl in the Blue Coat" by Monica Hesse
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.
