authentication

noun

au·​then·​ti·​ca·​tion ə-ˌthen-ti-ˈkā-shən 

ȯ-

plural authentications

: an act, process, or method of showing something (such as an identity, a piece of art, or a financial transaction) to be real, true, or genuine : the act or process of authenticating something

Historically, the authentication of art fell to connoisseurs …

—Colette Bancroft

Encryption and decryption, combined with user authentication, ensure that only intended recipients read the messages.

—Sal Ricciardi

Mostly, notaries have to be adept at the authentication arts. In an era of multiple-personality disorder, cross-dressing, sex-change surgery and bogus IDs, people aren't always who they appear to be. On the notary public rests the responsibility to verify a person's true identity and attest to it.

—Colette Bancroft

Giving users a way to prove that they're being harassed with, say, a screenshot or some other form of authentication could help Twitter catch bad actors, even after they've covered their tracks.

—Issie Lapowsky

—often used before another noun

authentication codes

authentication techniques

authentication keys

Examples of authentication in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

But that requires submitting your cable/satellite provider and authentication, per ABC’s web site. —Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 1 June 2024

Every user carries a physical YubiKey fob that plugs into a computer to confirm their identity, eliminating annoying authentications that involve texts and mobile phones. —Don Steinberg, TIME, 30 May 2024

Jumbo becomes your authentication app, displaying the time-sensitive six-digit code in its Vault (more about the Vault shortly). —PCMAG, 15 May 2024

According to experts, basic countermeasures—including changing default passwords and using multifactor authentication—can still provide substantial defense. —IEEE Spectrum, 21 May 2024

Word History

Etymology

authentic(ate) + -ation

First Known Use

1612, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing authentication

• multifactor authentication
• two-factor authentication