Main Entry: iden·ti·ty

Pronunciation: \ī-ˈden-tə-tē, ə-, -ˈde-nə-\

Function: noun

Inflected Form(s): plural iden·ti·ties

Etymology: Middle French identité, from Late Latin identitat-, identitas, probably from Latin identidem repeatedly, contraction of idem et idem, literally, same and same

Date: 1570

1 a : sameness of essential or generic character in different instances b : sameness in all that constitutes the objective reality of a thing : oneness
2 a : the distinguishing character or personality of an individual : individuality b : the relation established by psychological identification
3 : the condition of being the same with something described or asserted <establish the identity of stolen goods>
4 : an equation that is satisfied for all values of the symbols
5 : identity element