identity crisis

noun

1

: personal psychosocial conflict especially in adolescence that involves confusion about one's social role and often a sense of loss of continuity to one's personality

2

: a state of confusion in an institution or organization regarding its nature or direction

Examples of identity crisis in a Sentence

He is suffering from an identity crisis.

Recent Examples on the Web

Their identity crisis has been exacerbated by advocates of immigration and multiculturalism, who have often framed the disappearance of majority cultures as something to be celebrated in the name of change and diversity. —Eric Kaufmann, Foreign Affairs, 13 Aug. 2018

To complicate Trentino's identity crisis, during that war, thousands of Trentino women and children were forcibly displaced to Bohemia (in what is now the Czech Republic) and this influence can still be seen in the presence of goulash on local restaurant menus. —Vicki Power, theweek, 13 Aug. 2024

Department stores remain mired in an identity crisis. —The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 12 Aug. 2024

The one person who is not having an identity crisis is Prince Regent Aemond, whose confidence as his brother’s fill-in king has outgrown the massive size of his own dragon. —Alli Rosenbloom, CNN, 21 July 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1941, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Medical Definition

identity crisis

noun

: personal psychosocial conflict especially in adolescence that involves confusion about one's social role and often a sense of loss of continuity to one's personality