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 nounauthentication codes
authentication techniques
authentication keys
Cite this Entry
“Authentication.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/authentication. Accessed 11 Aug. 2026.
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