i‧den‧ti‧ty W2 AC / aɪdentəti, aɪdentɪti / 名词 ( 复数形式 identities )

1 [可数和不可数名词] someone’s identity is their name or who they are :

The identity of the killer is still unknown.

2 [不可数名词] 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 [不可数名词] formal exact similarity between two things

COLLOCATIONS

形容词

sb’s real/true identity The true identity of the author was not revealed until 100 years later.

a new/different identity He 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.

动词

find out/discover sb’s identity The police have yet to discover the victim’s identity.

know sb’s identity He wanted to know the identity of his real father.

hide/conceal sb’s identity She used a false name to conceal her identity.

reveal/disclose sb’s identity (= show or say who a person is ) The company did not reveal the identity of the prospective buyer.

give away sb’s identity (= accidentally reveal it ) The thief gave away his identity by mistake.

protect sb’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 + NOUN

identity 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.

短语

proof 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.