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

Most Veterans Day deals require a form of veteran, military or military-dependent identification – such as a Veteran ID Card or DD214 card showing your time of service. —Mike Snider, USA Today, 9 Nov. 2025

The remains will be transferred to Israel and to the national forensic institute for identification. —NPR, 9 Nov. 2025

The discovery revealed how genetic information is stored and replicated and created the foundation for modern genetic engineering, disease treatment with genes and DNA identification techniques, according to The Associated Press. —Sophia Compton, FOXNews.com, 8 Nov. 2025

Updates, including the identification of the pilot and potential causes of the crash, will be made available by the Bradford County Sheriff’s Office and federal aviation authorities as soon as information is verified. —Hollie Silverman, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 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