What does identifier mean?
An identifier is a name, label, code, or other distinctive piece of information that singles out a particular person, object, record, or value. Identifiers appear on products, accounts, files, vehicles, electronic components, and many other objects, allowing information to be stored, retrieved, and exchanged accurately. In computing, an identifier is also a name used for a variable, function, or other part of a program. As a verb, identify means to recognize something, determine its identity, or distinguish it from other possibilities: a scientist may identify a substance, while a witness may identify a suspect. The word is useful because it expresses both the practical label that makes reference precise and the broader act of recognizing what something is. It is common in technical, academic, commercial, and everyday contexts, although “identify” often has a more investigative or conclusive sense than words such as name or describe.
A name, code, label, or other distinctive piece of information used to identify a person, object, record, or value.
"The passport number is the customer's unique identifier."
In computing, an identifier is a name or symbol used to refer to a program element or stored item.
To recognize, determine the identity of, or single out a person, object, issue, or value.
"Tests were conducted to identify the source of the contamination."
The verb may be transitive, as in “identify the cause,” or intransitive, as in “the symptoms identify the disease.”
The regular plural is used for distinct names, codes, labels, or identifying symbols.
"The database stores identifiers for every registered device."
An identifier gives the digital world a reliable way to say exactly which person, object, or record it means.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does identifier come from?
The word identifier comes through English from Latin identificare, formed from idus, meaning “same” or “identical,” and facere, meaning “to make.” The English verb identify was established in the 16th century, and identifier developed from the same Latin foundation in the 17th century. Related words include identity and identification, which likewise refer to determining or expressing what something is.
How identifier is actually used
In computing, the term is especially common for a name or code used to distinguish data, users, files, devices, or program elements. As a verb, it is widely used in formal and technical contexts as well as in ordinary speech.
Easily confused with identifier
An identifier is the name or code used to single out something, whereas identity refers more broadly to who or what a person or thing is.