authentication

noun

au·​then·​ti·​ca·​tion ə-ˌthen-ti-ˈkā-shən 

ȯ-

plural authentications

: an act, process, or method of showing something (such as an identity, a piece of art, or a financial transaction) to be real, true, or genuine : the act or process of authenticating something

Historically, the authentication of art fell to connoisseurs …

—Colette Bancroft

Encryption and decryption, combined with user authentication, ensure that only intended recipients read the messages.

—Sal Ricciardi

Mostly, notaries have to be adept at the authentication arts. In an era of multiple-personality disorder, cross-dressing, sex-change surgery and bogus IDs, people aren't always who they appear to be. On the notary public rests the responsibility to verify a person's true identity and attest to it.

—Colette Bancroft

Giving users a way to prove that they're being harassed with, say, a screenshot or some other form of authentication could help Twitter catch bad actors, even after they've covered their tracks.

—Issie Lapowsky

—often used before another noun

authentication codes

authentication techniques

authentication keys

Examples of authentication in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Passwords, second-factor authentication cookies and other sensitive credentials were also compromised. —Kurt Knutsson, Cyberguy Report, Fox News, 12 Mar. 2025

Use secure APIs and OAuth authentication to integrate automation bots with enterprise applications like electronic health record (EHR) systems and insurance portals. —Rajiv Kumaresan, Forbes, 12 Mar. 2025

Beginning this week, attempting to connect your phone to a second-gen Chromecast or Chromecast Audio results in untrusted device or authentication errors. —Ryan Whitwam, Ars Technica, 11 Mar. 2025

Two main steps are required when a viewer attempts to access a livestream: authentication (identifying the user) and authorization (determining the user’s permission, especially in regard to geography and payment). —Dade Hayes, Deadline, 4 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

authentic(ate) + -ation

First Known Use

1612, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing authentication

• multifactor authentication
• two-factor authentication

Rhymes for authentication

• abbreviation
• abomination
• acceleration
• accentuation
• accommodation
• accreditation
• acculturation
• accumulation
• acetylation
• adjudication
• administration
• adulteration