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

Mangione was taken into custody in Pennsylvania on charges relating to false identification. —Adam Sabes , Maria Paronich, FOXNews.com, 13 Dec. 2025

The remains were then transported to the Midwest Medical Examiner’s Office for identification. —Abigail Adams, PEOPLE, 12 Dec. 2025

Women seen in the photos had their faces covered with black boxes to prevent their identification. —Ryan Mancini, The Hill, 12 Dec. 2025

Her identification has not been released. —Brandon Downs, CBS News, 12 Dec. 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