identity
English
Etymology
Middle French identité, from Latin idem (“the same”). See identical and idem.
Pronunciation
- (General American) IPA(key): /aɪˈdɛɾ̃əɾi/, /aɪˈdɛɾ̃ɪɾi/, [aɪˈdɛnəɾi], [aɪˈdɛnɪɾi]
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /aɪˈdɛntɪti/
- (General Australian) IPA(key): /aɪˈdɛntəti/
Audio (AU) (file)
Noun
identity (countable and uncountable, plural identities)
- Sameness, identicalness; the quality or fact of (several specified things) being the same.
- 1997, “Hydrothermal Vent Fauna”, in Advances in Marine Biology: The Biogeography of the Oceans, page 111:
- […] suggesting the two are different stages of the same species. The identity of the two species is further suggested by allozyme analysis […]
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- The difference or character that marks off an individual or collective from the rest of the same kind; selfhood; the sense of who something or someone or oneself is, or the recurring characteristics that enable the recognition of such an individual or group by others or themself.
- I've been through so many changes, I have no sense of identity.
- This nation has a strong identity.
- (The addition of quotations indicative of this usage is being sought:)
- A name or persona—a mask or appearance one presents to the world—by which one is known.
- This criminal has taken on several identities.
- In this show, the competitor's identity will remain secret until after the vote.
- (mathematics) An equation which always holds true regardless of the choice of input variables.
- The equation (x+y)(x−y) = x2−y2 is an algebraic identity. It is true regardless of the values of x and y.
- (algebra, computing) Any function which maps all elements of its domain to themselves.
- (algebra) An element of an algebraic structure which, when applied to another element under an operation in that structure, yields this second element.
- (Australia, New Zealand) A well-known or famous person.
- 1887 July 19, “Drowned at Williamstown”, in The Age:
- The body of a well known old identity named James Conroy […] was found in the water yesterday afternoon…
- 2013 April 4, "Cricket identities consult lawyers", New Zealand Herald
- 2016 January 13, "Kings Cross identities arrested in connection with murder", The Sydney Morning Herald
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Synonyms
- (sameness): See also Thesaurus:sameness
- (difference that marks off an individual): individuality, selfhood; see also Thesaurus:selfhood
- (mathematical function): identity function
- (famous person): celebrity, personality
Hyponyms
- additive identity
- gender identity
- left identity
- mistaken identity
- multiplicative identity
- personal identity
- principal identity
- quasiidentity
- right identity
- superidentity
Derived terms
- identity card
- identity of indiscernibles
- identity police
- identity politics
- identity property
- identity theft
- law of identity
Related terms
Terms etymologically related to "identity"
- identic
- identical
- identification
- identify
Translations
the difference or character that marks off an individual or group from the rest
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name or persona
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a mathematical equation that holds true irrespective of input elements.
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algebra: function — see identity function
algebra: element — see identity element
- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked
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References
- identity at OneLook Dictionary Search
- identity in Keywords for Today: A 21st Century Vocabulary, edited by The Keywords Project, Colin MacCabe, Holly Yanacek, 2018.
- identity in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911
- identity in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913