Abu is not his real name, but it's one he uses to disguise his identity.
The police soon established his true identity and he was quickly found.
Synonyms: name, details, specification More Synonyms of identity
2. variable noun [oft with poss, adjective NOUN]
The identity of a person or place is the characteristics they have that distinguish them from others.
I wanted a sense of my own identity.
...the distinct cultural, religious and national identity of many Italians.
Synonyms: individuality, self, character, personality More Synonyms of identity
More Synonyms of identity
identity in British English
(aɪˈdɛntɪtɪ)
nounWord forms: plural-ties
1.
the state of having unique identifying characteristics held by no other person or thing
2.
the individual characteristics by which a person or thing is recognized
3. Also called: numerical identity
the property of being one and the same individual
his loss of memory did not affect his identity
4. Also called: qualitative identity
the state of being the same in nature, quality, etc
they were linked by the identity of their tastes
5.
the state of being the same as a person or thing described or claimed
the identity of the stolen goods has not yet been established
6.
identification of oneself as
I'm proud of my Welsh identity
7. logic
a.
that relation that holds only between any entity and itself
b.
an assertion that that relation holds, as Cicero is Tully
8. mathematics
a.
an equation that is valid for all values of its variables, as in (x – y)(x + y) = x2 – y2. Often denoted by the symbol ≡
b. Also called: identity element
a member of a set that when operating on another member, x, produces that member x: the identity for multiplication of numbers is 1 since x.1 = 1.x = x
See also inverse (sense 2b)
9. Australian and New Zealand informal
a well-known person, esp in a specified locality; figure (esp in the phrase an old identity)
Word origin
C16: from Late Latin identitās, from Latin idem the same
identity in American English
(aɪˈdɛntəti)
nounWord forms: pluraliˈdentities
1.
the condition or fact of being the same or exactly alike; sameness; oneness
groups united by identity of interests
2.
a.
the condition or fact of being a specific person or thing; individuality
b.
the characteristics and qualities of a person, considered collectively and regardedas essential to that person's self-awareness
c.
the condition of being the same as a person or thing described or claimed
3. Ancient Mathematics
an equation which is true for all permissible sets of values of the variables which appear in it: Ex.: x2 - y2= (x + y) (x - y)
Word origin
Fr identité < LL identitas, coined (prob. infl. by LL essentitas, essence) < L idem, the same, akin to Sans idám, the same < IE base *e-, *ei-, he, that > Sans ayám, OIr ē, Goth is, he
COBUILD Collocations
identity
adopt an identity
collective identity
conceal the identity of
confirm the identity of
cultural identity
disclose the identity of
discover the identity of
distinct identity
distinctive identity
establish an identity
ethnic identity
fake identity
false identity
forge an identity
multiple identities
national identity
own identity
personal identity
protect the identity of
steal the identity of
true identity
unique identity
verify the identity of
Examples of 'identity' in a sentence
identity
You have a real identity with the football club.
The Sun (2016)
The film gains its own distinct identity while its hero worries about losing his.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The death of national identity is what the whole rotten project is built on.
The Sun (2016)
The search for a new identity is not unusual in his family.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
It stands instead for upholding the national and cultural identity that the left has spent half a century attempting to dismantle.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
The club are thought to know the identity of the person who produced the letter and that person has since left the club.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Indeed, she fuelled public interest in her true identity.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The core dilemma, though, is one of political identity.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The agents had also obtained credit cards in the name of the identities they had stolen.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
For three centuries the family was unsure of the identity of the figure in the portrait.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
The formation of a malignant negative identity is generally disguised by the socially conforming "false self.
Herman, Judith Lewis Trauma and Recovery (1992)
They have long had a distinct identity of their own.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
His true identity and location is unclear.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Rugby is our national identity and the future of the game is with them.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
The identity of one of the most optimistic people after the launch also surprised me.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
You can win the right love but the identity of this person may be a surprise.
The Sun (2013)
All these factors have the potential further to undermine cultural identity.
George Monbiot THE AGE OF CONSENT (2003)
Ten years ago if you had wanted to disappear you would have needed a new identity.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
So we get our identity from doing things the people should be doing.
Christianity Today (2000)
They were forced to carry yellow identity cards and suffered harsh discrimination.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
She changed her identity after being named on social media.
The Sun (2015)
The important thing is that they have the potential to have their own distinct character and identity.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
He fears that losing his true identity will make him a ghost.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Not understanding this fact leads to the wounding of our own national identity.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Regarding them with admiration or disgust helps us to make sense of the best and worst of our collective and individual identities.
The Times Literary Supplement (2010)
His themes are memory, identity and time.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
The soundtrack had been distorted, presumably in an effort to disguise his identity.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Its activities have often been cited in news reports, but the identities of its members are a mystery to most.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
In other languages
identity
British English: identity /aɪˈdɛntɪtɪ/ NOUN
Your identity is who you are.
The police soon established his true identity.
American English: identity
Arabic: هَوِيَّةٌ
Brazilian Portuguese: identidade
Chinese: 身份
Croatian: identitet
Czech: totožnost
Danish: identitet
Dutch: identiteit
European Spanish: identidad
Finnish: henkilöllisyys
French: identité
German: Identität
Greek: ταυτότητα
Italian: identità
Japanese: 身元
Korean: 정체성
Norwegian: identitet
Polish: tożsamość
European Portuguese: identidade
Romanian: identitate
Russian: индивидуальность
Latin American Spanish: identidad
Swedish: identitet
Thai: เอกลักษณ์
Turkish: kimlik
Ukrainian: самосвідомість
Vietnamese: danh tính
All related terms of 'identity'
fake identity
Your identity is who you are.
identity card
An identity card is a card with a person's name, photograph , date of birth , and other information on it. In some countries, people are required to carry identity cards in order to prove who they are.
identity disc
a disc bearing details that serve to identify its wearer
old identity
a person known for a long time in the one locality
own identity
The identity of a person or place is the characteristics they have that distinguish them from others.
self-identity
the conscious recognition of the self as having a unique identity
true identity
Your identity is who you are.
ethnic identity
The identity of a person or place is the characteristics they have that distinguish them from others.
false identity
Your identity is who you are.
gender identity
a person's understanding of having a particular gender , which may or may not correspond with the assumed gender assigned to them at birth
identity crisis
a state in which a person experiences uncertainty about who they really are and their proper role in life
identity fraud
Fraud is the crime of gaining money or financial benefits by a trick or by lying.
identity hyphen
a hyphen separating different racial , national , or religious elements in a compound name describing a person of mixed heritage , as in Australian-Muslim
identity papers
documents that establish a person's identity , esp those issued to all members of the population in wartime
identity parade
At an identity parade , a witness to a crime tries to identify the criminal from among a line of people.
identity theft
Identity theft is the crime of getting personal information about another person without their knowledge, for example in order to gain access to their bank account.
identity theory
a form of materialism which holds mental states to be identical with certain states of the brain and so to have no separate existence , but regards this identity as contingent so that mentalistic and physicalistic language are not held to be synonymous
unique identity
The identity of a person or place is the characteristics they have that distinguish them from others.
cultural identity
The identity of a person or place is the characteristics they have that distinguish them from others.
distinct identity
The identity of a person or place is the characteristics they have that distinguish them from others.
identity element
an element of a mathematical system that does not change the other elements in the system when it operates on them: zero is the identity element for addition ( x + 0 = x) and one is the identity element for multiplication ( y × 1 = y)
identity politics
political activity, views, etc. based on identification with an interest group, esp. one organized around racial , gender , or ethnic identity
mistaken identity
When someone incorrectly thinks that they have found or recognized a particular person, you refer to this as a case of mistaken identity .
national identity
The identity of a person or place is the characteristics they have that distinguish them from others.
numerical identity
the relation that holds between two relata when they are the selfsame entity , that is, when the terms designating them have the same reference
personal identity
The identity of a person or place is the characteristics they have that distinguish them from others.
adopt an identity
The identity of a person or place is the characteristics they have that distinguish them from others.
collective identity
The identity of a person or place is the characteristics they have that distinguish them from others.
distinctive identity
The identity of a person or place is the characteristics they have that distinguish them from others.
forge an identity
The identity of a person or place is the characteristics they have that distinguish them from others.
identity protection
If an insurance policy gives you protection against an event such as death, injury , fire , or theft, the insurance company will give you or your family money if that event happens .
proof of identity
a document or documents used to verify someone's identity
qualitative identity
the relation that holds between two relata that have properties in common. This term is used to distinguish many uses of the words identical or same in ordinary language from strict identity or numerical identity
establish an identity
The identity of a person or place is the characteristics they have that distinguish them from others.
steal the identity of
Your identity is who you are.
conceal the identity of
Your identity is who you are.
confirm the identity of
Your identity is who you are.
disclose the identity of
Your identity is who you are.
discover the identity of
Your identity is who you are.
protect the identity of
Your identity is who you are.
verify the identity of
Your identity is who you are.
ID badge
a badge that serves to identify the person wearing it
dissociative identity disorder
a disorder in which an individual's personality appears to have become separated into two or more distinct personalities, each with its own complex organization
corporate image
the way an organization is presented to or perceived by its members and the public
dual personality
a disorder in which an individual's personality appears to have become separated into two or more distinct personalities, each with its own complex organization
identities
the state of having unique identifying characteristics held by no other person or thing