n.
Pronunciation: ī - ˌ den-t ə -f ə - ' k ā -sh ə n, ə -
Function: noun
Date: 1644
1 a : an act of identifying : the state of being identified b : evidence of identity
2 a : psychological orientation of the self in regard to something (as a person or group) with a resulting feeling of close emotional association b : a largely unconscious process whereby an individual models thoughts, feelings, and actions after those attributed to an object that has been incorporated as a mental image