Meaning & use
identities
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“identities” is a form of “identity”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
nounplural
Who people are, including their names and the features that make each of them different from others.
Grammar: Plural of identity: one identity, many identities.
Patterns
- identities of someone
- protect identities
The police did not release the identities of the witnesses.
Fake documents were used to hide their true identities.
Staff must check the identities of all visitors.
nounplural
The beliefs, backgrounds and group memberships through which people see themselves, such as nationality or profession.
Grammar: Common in social studies: cultural identities.
Patterns
- cultural identities
- shape identities
Immigrants often balance several cultural identities.
Sports teams give fans shared identities.
The festival celebrates the many identities within the city.
nounpluralcomputing
Online profiles or accounts that represent a user or person in digital systems.
Grammar: Technical sense in computing and security.
Patterns
- digital identities
- manage identities
The system manages user identities across several apps.
Hackers stole thousands of digital identities.
Word forms
| singular | identity |
|---|
Common combinations
- cultural identities
- The museum explores cultural identities across Europe.
- verify identities
- Banks must verify identities before opening accounts.
- multiple identities
- People often hold multiple identities at once.
- protect identities
- The newspaper agreed to protect the identities of its sources.
- stolen identities
- Thieves used stolen identities to apply for loans.
- conceal identities
- The performers wore masks to conceal their identities.
Synonyms and how they differ
- selves
- This is more philosophical and refers to the inner person, whereas identities can be public labels.
- personalities
- This describes character and behavior, not names or group membership.
- individualities
- This stresses what makes each person unique and is a formal, less common word.
- profiles
- This is the online description of a person, narrower than identities.
Opposites
Word family
- identity noun
- who someone is
- identify verb
- to recognize or name
- identical adjective
- exactly alike
- identification noun
- proof of who someone is
Commonly confused: identities or identical? identities or identifies?
identities vs identical
Identical means exactly the same. Identities are what make people or things distinct.
identities vs identifies
Identifies is a verb meaning recognizes; identities is a plural noun.
Practice
The reporter promised to protect the ______ of the people who gave information.
Choose one answer.
Identities means who the people are, which a reporter keeps secret. Identifications are documents or acts of recognizing, which is a less natural fit, and identicals and idols make no sense here.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “identities”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.