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

As biometric technologies become more common in authentication, timekeeping, and access control, Colorado’s law introduces a structured framework that protects individuals while guiding businesses toward responsible use. —Alonzo Martinez, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025

Meanwhile, biometric authentication has become more prevalent. —Matthew Kayser, USA Today, 25 June 2025

How Google and Meta are responding to the massive password leak A Google spokesperson stated that this issue did not stem from a Google data breach and that Google continues to strongly encourage users to adopt more secure, passwordless authentication methods, such as passkey. —Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 25 June 2025

But even in this limited state, Facebook making passkeys a primary login option (as opposed to last year’s quiet addition of support for passkeys as a backup authentication option for users with USB security keys) should be a welcome update. —Rob Pegoraro, PC Magazine, 19 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

authentic(ate) + -ation

First Known Use

1612, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing authentication

• multifactor authentication
• two-factor authentication

Rhymes for authentication

• abbreviation
• abomination
• acceleration
• accentuation
• accommodation
• accreditation
• acculturation
• accumulation
• acetylation
• adjudication
• administration
• adulteration