From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishidentityi‧den‧ti‧ty /aɪˈdentəti/ ●●○ W2 AWL noun (plural identities) 1 [countable, uncountable]NAME OF A PERSON someone’s identity is their name or who they are The identity of the killer is still unknown.2 [uncountable]CHARACTER OF something 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] formalSAME exact similarity between two thingsCOLLOCATIONSadjectivessomebody’s real/true identityThe true identity of the author was not revealed until 100 years later.a new/different identityHe 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.verbsfind out/discover somebody’s identityThe police have yet to discover the victim’s identity.know somebody’s identityHe wanted to know the identity of his real father.hide/conceal somebody’s identityShe used a false name to conceal her identity.reveal/disclose somebody’s identity (=show or say who a person is)The company did not reveal the identity of the prospective buyer.give away somebody’s identity (=accidentally reveal it)The thief gave away his identity by mistake.protect somebody’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 + NOUNidentity 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.phrasesproof 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.
Examples from the Corpus
identity• All of this roster movement makes it hard to establish an identity for a team.• The party had not yet come to terms with the departure of Mrs Thatcher and was suffering an identity crisis.• Each class needs to take a group identity.• She was afraid marriage would cause her to lose her identity.• As the movement progressed, his identity with it became known.• Some fear the community is losing its Hispanic-Indian identity.• I had no identity, or only a negative identity.• Many teenagers play sports to gain a sense of identity.• We made visible to ourselves the complex, multiplicity of our identities.• The islanders are proud of their strong regional identity.• We still don't know the identity of the other man in the picture.• They were losing touch with their identity.The identity of• Could it have been him? The identity of the dead man was never determined.• The incident is currently under investigation. The identity of the victim was being withheld until his family could be notified.• Her first known employer was Susanna Jennens. The identity of this woman is known by a remarkable coincidence.• Instructions about Right Beleeving, a collection of sermons, was uncontroversial. The identity of Archer's wife is unknown.sense of identity• Reward systems, promotions and a sense of identity are individually geared and generated.• So, in the Act parenting is for life, because children need continuity, security, and a sense of identity.• It gives you a sense of identity.• A sense of identity and belonging is created albeit with the aid of alcohol or drugs that lowers our inhibitions.• What is their future sense of identity?• Also, with puberty, children, especially girls, begin to develop their own sense of identity.• Galicia, too, has its own language and a very strong sense of identity.• This helps to keep families up to date with the thinking of the school and strengthens the sense of identity.• Many men get their sense of identity from their careers.Origin identity (1500-1600) Late Latin identitas, from Latin idem “same” 