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

This level includes requirements for access control, authentication, and basic data protection. —Emil Sayegh, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024

According to the note people reported receiving, other requirements to exploit the vulnerability included Okta checking the cache from a previous successful login, and that an organization’s authentication policy didn’t add extra conditions like requiring multi-factor authentication (MFA). —Richard Lawler, The Verge, 2 Nov. 2024

Since the breaches, Snowflake has updated its systems to require multifactor authentication to be turned on by default. —Matt Burgess, WIRED, 5 Nov. 2024

Regulatory Responses and Big Tech Responsibility In October 2023, the Biden Administration's AI Executive Order included a provision encouraging government officials to develop authentication techniques to increase public trust in their communications. —Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

authentic(ate) + -ation

First Known Use

1612, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing authentication

• multifactor authentication
• two-factor authentication