identification

noun

iden·​ti·​fi·​ca·​tion ī-ˌden-tə-fə-ˈkā-shən 

ə-

1

a

: an act of identifying : the state of being identified

b

: evidence of identity

2

a

: psychological orientation of the self in regard to something (such as a person or group) with a resulting feeling of close emotional association

b

: a largely unconscious process whereby an individual models thoughts, feelings, and actions after those attributed to an object that has been incorporated as a mental image

Examples of identification in a Sentence

A member of the family was brought in for identification of the body.

The birds are tagged for easy identification.

The police have made a positive identification of the suspect.

You need two forms of identification.

the movie audience's identification with the good guys

Recent Examples on the Web

But Republicans shouldn’t worry yet for one simple reason: candidate name identification. —Henry Olsen, National Review, 7 June 2024

In Gen Z, according to the latest surveys by Gallup, which has tracked LGBTQ+ identification for two decades, 1 in 5 adults identify as LGBTQ+, including 15% who identify as bisexual, 3% as lesbian, 2.6% as gay and 2.8% as transgender. —Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 6 June 2024

Faulconer, a Republican, is the rare challenger who has higher name identification than the Democratic incumbent, according to campaign polls. —Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 June 2024

Instead, the numbers are resin identification codes used to denote what type of plastic the item is. —Nicole Blanchard, Idaho Statesman, 5 June 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1644, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing identification

• identification card
• identification parade
• self-identification

Kids Definition

identification

noun

iden·​ti·​fi·​ca·​tion ī-ˌdent-ə-fə-ˈkā-shən 

ə-ˌdent-

1

: an act of identifying : the state of being identified

2

: evidence of identity

carry identification at all times

Medical Definition

identification

noun

iden·​ti·​fi·​ca·​tion ī-ˌdent-ə-fə-ˈkā-shən, ə- 

1

: an act of identifying : the state of being identified

2

a

: psychological orientation of the self in regard to something (as a person or group) with a resulting feeling of close emotional association

b

: a largely unconscious process whereby an individual models thoughts, feelings, and actions after those attributed to an object that has been incorporated as a mental image