identity

identity — noun

1. the name and basic personal details — such as age, nationality, and address — th

1.nounB1
Definition

the name and basic personal details — such as age, nationality, and address — that establish who a particular person is

Example

Police confirmed the victim's identity using dental records.

Lakshmi was asked to provide proof of identity before entering the building.

collocation: proof of identity

Common collocations
  • proof of identity
  • true identity
  • fake identity
  • confirm someone's identity
  • reveal someone's identity
  • identity theft
Synonyms
  • identification

    refers more to the documents or process of proving who someone is, rather than the facts themselves

  • persona

    focuses on public-facing image or role, which may differ from real identity

  • particulars

    a formal term for basic personal details such as name and address

Grammar Patterns

someone's identity

identity of someone

Usage Note

Often appears in contexts of security, law enforcement, or official verification. The phrase 'proof of identity' refers to documents such as a passport or driver's license.

Common Mistakes

I forgot my identity at home.
I forgot my identity card at home.
identity is the set of facts about who you are, not a physical object you can leave behind.
The police asked for his identity.
The police asked for his identification.
identification refers to the document; identity refers to the person's name and details.

2. the set of qualities, beliefs, and feelings that give a person, group, or place

2.nounB1
Definition

the set of qualities, beliefs, and feelings that give a person, group, or place its distinct character

Example

The festival celebrates the cultural identity of the local Indigenous community.

collocation: cultural identity

As a teenager, Rin struggled to find her own identity apart from her family.

Common collocations
  • cultural identity
  • national identity
  • brand identity
  • sense of identity
  • identity crisis
  • identity politics
  • identity formation
Synonyms
  • individuality

    focuses on personal uniqueness rather than group belonging

  • character

    broader term covering personality and moral qualities of a person or group

  • distinctiveness

    emphasises what sets someone apart from others

Antonyms
  • conformity

    the act of being and thinking the same as everyone else, the opposite of having a distinct identity

Grammar Patterns

someone's identity

identity of [group]

cultural/national/ethnic identity

Usage Note

Frequently modified by adjectives such as 'cultural', 'national', 'ethnic', 'religious', 'corporate', or 'gender'. This sense differs from 'WHO SOMEONE IS' in that it focuses on shared qualities and belonging rather than official identifying details.

Common Mistakes

She has a strong identity cat.
She has a strong sense of identity.
identity is not an adjective that describes a category of person; use 'sense of identity' for the feeling of who you are.

3. the fact that two or more things are exactly the same as each other

3.nounB2
Definition

the fact that two or more things are exactly the same as each other

Example

The identity of goals between the two departments led them to share resources.

grammar pattern: identity of [plural noun]

Feng noted the identity of the two signatures and suspected the document was forged.

Common collocations
  • identity of interests
  • identity of purpose
  • identity of views
  • identity of structure
Synonyms
  • sameness

    a plainer, everyday alternative to the formal 'identity' in this sense

  • oneness

    emphasises unity and wholeness rather than exact match

  • uniformity

    implies that every part is the same across a set, often with a neutral or critical tone

Antonyms
  • difference

    the state of being unlike or distinct

  • diversity

    the state of having variety, the opposite of sameness

Grammar Patterns

identity of [plural noun]

Usage Note

A formal, often academic sense. Common in philosophy, mathematics, law, and comparative analysis. Unlike 'GROUP CHARACTER', this sense does not involve personal or cultural distinctiveness.

Common Mistakes

They share an identity of culture.
They share a cultural identity.
when referring to shared qualities of a group, use sense 2 (GROUP CHARACTER) rather than the formal SAMENESS sense.

identity — adjective

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Identity refers to the set of facts that establish who a person is — their name, age, nationality, and address. Identification is narrower: it means either the process of proving identity or the document used for that purpose, such as a passport or driver's license. Persona describes the public image or role someone adopts, which may differ from their true identity. Particulars is a formal term for basic personal details. For example, 'The police asked for his identification' refers to a document, while 'He kept his true identity a secret' refers to who he actually is. 'She adopted a professional persona at work' means she played a role, not that her core identity changed.

identification ↗persona ↗particulars

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • proof of identity
  • sense of identity
  • crisis of identity
  • search for identity
  • loss of identity

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

The word comes from Latin 'identitas', meaning 'sameness', which was formed from 'idem' ('the same'). It entered English through French 'identité' in the 16th century, at first carrying only the sense of exact sameness. By the 17th century, English speakers had extended it to mean the continuous nature of a person over time, and later to the qualities that make someone or something distinct.