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

The Hazards Of Hybrid Environments Many organizations use identity and access management (IAM) solutions to integrate and streamline user authentication across both cloud and on-premises systems. —Jonathan Fischbein, Forbes.com, 22 July 2025

Very likely, this weaker authentication was similar to those used to log in to a Netflix or YouTube account on a TV with a phone. —Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 18 July 2025

Developments in artificial intelligence and new authentication systems mean that traditional passwords are rapidly being upgraded or replaced with biometric security options—something that can't be replicated. —Theo Burman, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 July 2025

The warning followed a major technical outage starting on June 24, which affected the network ID authentication service that students and faculty use to access school platforms — including university emails and online coursework, Columbia Daily Spectator reported. —Cayla Bamberger, New York Daily News, 3 July 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