identity crisis

noun

Definition of identity crisis

1 : personal psychosocial conflict especially in adolescence that involves confusion about one's social role and often a sense of loss of continuity to one's personality

2 : a state of confusion in an institution or organization regarding its nature or direction

Examples of identity crisis in a Sentence

He is suffering from an identity crisis.

Recent Examples on the Web

Thematically, Susie’s identity crisis parallels with Sabrina’s oscillation between witch and mortal. — Danielle Corcione, Teen Vogue, ""Chilling Adventures of Sabrina" Star Lachlan Watson on Non-Binary Identity and Telling a Bit of Their Own Story Through Susie Putnam," 29 Oct. 2018 Denver has had something of an identity crisis for some time now. — Todd Plummer, Vogue, "Denver’s Coolest Bars, Restaurants, and Shops Are All in This One Neighborhood," 6 Nov. 2018 But make no mistake: The party’s identity crisis will be front and center after November, especially if Nancy Pelosi steps down or gets dislodged as the leader of House Democrats. — James Hohmann, Washington Post, "The Daily 202: Crowley going down spotlights the looming Democratic identity crisis," 27 June 2018 Paris 7th's identity crisis continues, but not on the plate. — Bud Kennedy, star-telegram, "Fine dining without the price: Two deals you won't want to miss | Fort Worth Star-Telegram," 9 Apr. 2018 Increasingly, soccer is a playing field for America’s identity crisis, and not just on the big stage. — Will Bunch, Philly.com, "World Cup with no U.S. is a metaphor for what's wrong in America right now | Will Bunch," 12 June 2018 But Tim Hortons also is confronting an identity crisis at home. — Jaewon Kang And Dawn Lim, WSJ, "Tim Hortons Tests China’s Appetite for Canadian Coffee," 11 July 2018 Enrique took over Barcelona in the summer of 2014 during a similar, if not quite so stark identity crisis. — SI.com, "How Luis Enrique Must Force Quick Transition to Stop Spain Returning to the Mediocre Years," 10 July 2018 Bloomberg reporters delve into the U.K. ruling party’s identity crisis. — Caroline Alexander, Bloomberg.com, "A Retirement, a Failed Coup and a Taboo: Weekend Reads," 30 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'identity crisis.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

27 Nov 2018

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The first known use of identity crisis was in 1941

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More Definitions for identity crisis

identity crisis

noun

English Language Learners Definition of identity crisis

: a feeling of unhappiness and confusion caused by not being sure about what type of person you really are or what the true purpose of your life is

See the full definition for identity crisis in the English Language Learners Dictionary

identity crisis

noun

Medical Definition of identity crisis

: personal psychosocial conflict especially in adolescence that involves confusion about one's social role and often a sense of loss of continuity to one's personality