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

Police made a positive identification of the suspect.

b

: evidence of identity

need to show identification before boarding the flight

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

The toll has gone up during the ceasefire from new Israeli strikes and from the recovery and identification of bodies of people killed earlier in the war. —Arkansas Online, 23 Nov. 2025

Further guidance on the rollout date and specifics of registering for the alternative identification program will be announced on the TSA website, the agency said. —Sam Stevenson, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Nov. 2025

The Block 1 version of Knifefish offers improved depth performance and more accurate target identification compared to earlier models. —Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 21 Nov. 2025

The year is not over yet, and TSA may implement another option that doesn't require a different form of identification, but a fee. —Mariyam Muhammad, Cincinnati Enquirer, 21 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1644, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing identification

• identification card
• identification parade
• self-identification

Rhymes for identification

• acclimatisation
• acclimatization
• acidification
• actualization
• annualization
• autocorrelation
• autoregulation
• beatification
• beneficiation
• biodegradation
• biotransformation
• bureaucratization

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