id card
B2Neutral to Formal
Definition
Meaning
A plastic or paper card bearing a person's name, date of birth, photograph, and other unique details, issued by an authority to verify their identity.
Any official document or credential that serves as proof of identity, membership, or authorisation, often used for access control or administrative verification.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The term is often shortened to just 'ID' in informal contexts ('Show your ID'). While 'identity card' is the full form, 'ID card' is the overwhelmingly common compound.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning. 'ID card' is standard in both. The controversy around a compulsory national identity card scheme in UK politics gives the term a specific, occasionally negative, connotation in British discourse.
Connotations
In the UK, it may carry political connotations related to state surveillance. In the US, it's a standard, neutral term for driver's licenses, school IDs, etc.
Frequency
Equally frequent in both varieties.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
VERB + ID CARD (e.g., issue an ID card)ID CARD + VERB (e.g., the ID card expires)PREP + ID CARD (e.g., without an ID card)ADJ + ID CARD (e.g., a valid ID card)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Carded (US slang: asked to show ID to prove legal age)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Required for employee building access and security clearance.
Academic
Necessary for library use, exam registration, and accessing campus facilities.
Everyday
Needed for age verification when purchasing alcohol, collecting parcels, or banking.
Technical
Refers to a smart card or RFID-enabled credential used in security systems.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The bouncer will ID you at the door.
- The system requires you to ID yourself with a card.
American English
- She got ID'd at the liquor store.
- You need to ID yourself before entering the secure area.
adjective
British English
- He had an ID card problem at the airport.
- The ID card policy is under review.
American English
- We have a strict ID card requirement.
- It's an ID-card-only event.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- I have a student ID card.
- Please show your ID card.
- You must carry your ID card with you at all times in the building.
- I forgot my ID card, so I couldn't get into the library.
- The new security system requires employees to scan their ID cards at every entrance.
- Her ID card had expired, which caused a delay at the border control.
- The debate over compulsory national ID cards hinges on the balance between security and civil liberties.
- Biometric data embedded in modern ID cards raises significant privacy concerns.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine your ID card is your 'I.D.' – your 'I-Dentity' in card form.
Conceptual Metaphor
IDENTITY IS A CARD (A complex personal identity is conceptualised as a portable, tangible object).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid direct calque 'аиди карта'. Use 'удостоверение личности' or the common borrowing 'айди' (e.g., 'покажи свой айди').
Common Mistakes
- Incorrect capitalisation (e.g., 'Id card' or 'ID Card' in mid-sentence).
- Using plural incorrectly when referring to one card (e.g., 'I need an IDs').
- Confusing 'ID card' with 'credit card' or 'membership card' in specific contexts.
Practice
Quiz
What is the most common informal synonym for 'ID card'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, technically, as 'ID' stands for 'identification'. However, 'ID card' is a very well-established, standard compound noun in English, used for clarity.
A passport is a specific type of ID card issued by a national government for the primary purpose of international travel, while an ID card is a broader term for any identity-verifying document, often for domestic use.
In standard prose, write 'ID card' (with 'ID' in capitals as it's an initialism, and 'card' in lowercase). It's only capitalised in full if it's part of an official title (e.g., 'National Identity Card').
Yes, informally. It means to ask for or check someone's identification (e.g., 'The cashier ID'd me before selling the wine').