identity
[noun]
Synonyms:
- existence, individuality, personality, self
- sameness, correspondence, unity

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Antonyms: nonidentity
Contrasted words: dissimilarity, dissimilitude, unlikeness, unsimilarity
Related Words: agreement, likeness, resemblance, semblance, similarity, similitude, correspondence, equality, equivalence, uniformity

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

i‧den‧ti‧ty W2 AC /aɪˈdentəti, aɪˈdentɪti/ noun (plural identities)
[Word Family: noun: identification, identity; adjective: identifiable, unidentified; verb: identify]
[Date: 1500-1600; Language: Late Latin; Origin: identitas, from Latin idem 'same']

1. [uncountable and countable] someone’s identity is their name or who they are:
The identity of the killer is still unknown.

2. [uncountable] the qualities and attitudes that a person or group of people have, that make them different from other people:
Children need continuity, security, and a sense of identity.
Travelling alone can lead to a loss of identity.
national/cultural/social etc identity (=a strong feeling of belonging to a particular group, race etc)
Our strong sense of national identity has been shaped by our history.
identity crisis/crisis of identity (=a feeling of uncertainty about who you really are and what your purpose is)
My father experienced an identity crisis in middle age.

3. [uncountable] formal exact similarity between two things

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

identity
noun
ADJ. true | assumed, false He was discovered living under an assumed identity in South America.
mistaken This is obviously a case of mistaken identity.
new | common, corporate, cultural, national, personal, political, racial, sexual
VERB + IDENTITY create, develop, establish, forge They are still struggling to establish their identity as a political party. The company forged its own identity by producing specialist vehicles.
give sb/sth He felt that having a job gave him an identity.
maintain, preserve Many minority groups are struggling to maintain their cultural identity.
lose | change He changed his identity and moved abroad on his release from prison.
assume She was given a false passport and assumed a new identity.
disclose, reveal He refused to reveal the identity of his client.
discover, find out | guess It was easy to guess the identity of the thief.
conceal, hide, keep secret, protect Her voice was disguised to conceal her identity.
IDENTITY + NOUN bracelet, tag | card, documents, papers | code | parade The victim picked out her attacker in an identity parade.
crisis The country suffered from an identity crisis for years after the civil war.
PREP. ~ as Scotland has never lost its identity as a separate nation.
PHRASES proof of identity The police officer asked him for proof of identity.
a search for identity His search for his cultural identity took him to where his parents were born.
a sense of identity

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

identity

sb’s real/true identity
The true identity of the author was not revealed until 100 years later.
a new/different identity
He avoided arrest by adopting a new identity.
a false identity (=when someone pretends to be another person)
He used a fake passport to assume a false identity.
find out/discover sb’s identity
The police have yet to discover the victim’s identity.
know sb’s identity
He wanted to know the identity of his real father.
hide/conceal sb’s identity
She used a false name to conceal her identity.
reveal/disclose sb’s identity (=show or say who a person is)
The company did not reveal the identity of the prospective buyer.
give away sb’s identity (=accidentally reveal it)
The thief gave away his identity by mistake.
protect sb’s identity (=make sure no one finds out who someone is)
Journalists frequently protect the identity of confidential sources.
adopt/assume an identity (=give yourself a new identity )
She assumed a false identity and went to live in South America.
identity card/papers/documents (=documents that show who you are)
Each member of staff is issued with an identity card.
an identity parade British English (=when someone looks at a line of people to see if they recognize a criminal)
The victim identified her attacker from an identity parade.
identity theft/fraud (=the crime of stealing another person's personal details in order to pretend to be that person)
Identity theft is becoming more and more common because of the Internet.
proof of identity (=something that proves you are who you say you are)
You’ll need proof of identity, such as a driving licence.
a case of mistaken identity (=when people think that someone is a different person, especially with the result that they are accused of something that they did not do)
The defendant claimed he’d been arrested in a case of mistaken identity.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲