Origin: Latin suffix -tion
Identification has 6 different meanings across 1 category:
the act of designating or identifying something
"The security guard's quick identification of the stolen artwork prevented any further damage to the gallery."
evidence of identity; something that identifies a person or thing
"The security guard asked for identification before letting us into the building."
the condition of having the identity (of a person or object) established
"the thief's identification was followed quickly by his arrest"
"identification of the gun was an important clue"
the process of recognizing something or someone by remembering
"a politician whose recall of names was as remarkable as his recognition of faces"
"experimental psychologists measure the elapsed time from the onset of the stimulus to its recognition by the observer"
the attribution to yourself (consciously or unconsciously) of the characteristics of another person (or group of persons)
"After years of working alongside his mentor, the junior architect began developing a strong identification with her meticulous design philosophy."
The act of identifying, or proving to be the same.
"The security guard stopped us at the gate because our identification didn't match the names on the passenger manifest."
In plain English: Identification is the act of recognizing who someone is or what something is.
"Please show your identification at the door before entering."
Usage: Use identification to refer to the process of recognizing something or someone, such as identifying a suspect in a lineup. It also denotes the physical document used to prove your identity, like a driver's license.
The word entered English from French as identification, retaining its original sense of establishing who someone is or what something is. It was borrowed directly without a significant shift in meaning during the transition between languages.