Identity

[ahy-den-ti-tee, ih-den-] /aɪˈdɛn tɪ ti, ɪˈdɛn-/

noun, plural identities.
1.
the state or fact of remaining the same one or ones, as under varying aspects or conditions:
The identity of the fingerprints on the gun with those on file provided evidence that he was the killer.
2.
the condition of being oneself or itself, and not another:
He doubted his own identity.
3.
condition or character as to who a person or what a thing is:
a case of mistaken identity.
4.
the state or fact of being the same one as described.
5.
the sense of self, providing sameness and continuity in personality over time and sometimes disturbed in mental illnesses, as schizophrenia.
6.
exact likeness in nature or qualities:
an identity of interests.
7.
an instance or point of sameness or likeness:
to mistake resemblances for identities.
8.
Logic. an assertion that two terms refer to the same thing.
9.
Mathematics.

10.
Australian Informal. an interesting, famous, or eccentric resident, usually of long standing in a community.
/aɪˈdɛntɪtɪ/
noun (pl) -ties
1.
the state of having unique identifying characteristics held by no other person or thing
2.
the individual characteristics by which a person or thing is recognized
3.
Also called numerical identity. the property of being one and the same individual: his loss of memory did not affect his identity
4.
Also called qualitative identity. the state of being the same in nature, quality, etc: they were linked by the identity of their tastes
5.
the state of being the same as a person or thing described or claimed: the identity of the stolen goods has not yet been established
6.
identification of oneself as: moving to London destroyed his Welsh identity
7.
(logic)

8.
(maths)

9.
(Austral & NZ, informal) a well-known person, esp in a specified locality; figure (esp in the phrase an old identity)
n.

c.1600, “sameness, oneness,” from Middle French identité (14c.), from Late Latin (5c.) identitatem (nominative identitas) “sameness,” from ident-, comb. form of Latin idem (neuter) “the same” (see identical); abstracted from identidem “over and over,” from phrase idem et idem. [For discussion of Latin formation, see entry in OED.] Earlier form of the word in English was idemptitie (1560s), from Medieval Latin idemptitas. Term identity crisis first recorded 1954. Identity theft attested from 1995.

identity i·den·ti·ty (ī-děn’tĭ-tē)
n.