noun
identity
eye-DEHN-tih-tee
noun
1
Who a person is, including their name, background, and sense of self.
"The witness protection program gave him a whole new identity."
"Music was a huge part of her identity growing up."
2
The distinguishing character or personality of something, especially a brand or group.
"The rebrand gave the company a fresh visual identity."
3
(mathematics) An equation that holds true for every possible value of its variables.
"sin²(x) + cos²(x) = 1 is a well-known trigonometric identity."
How to Use Identity
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe set of qualities, name, and history that make someone (or something) who or what they are.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
sense of identity
identity theft
national identity
brand identity
Word Forms
identities plural
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The witness protection program gave him a whole new _____.
Etymology
From Late Latin identitas, built on Latin idem, "the same."