Authentication

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ɔːˌθɛntɪˈkeɪʃn̩/

Definitions

1. The procedure for confirming the identity of a user or system involves verifying credentials to allow access and ensures that the individual or system seeking entry is legitimate
2. The process of confirming that someone or something is who or what they claim to be by checking identification details
3. A method of establishing the legitimacy of an entity through credential checks before granting access

Etymology: The verb "authenticate" comes from Medieval Latin "authenticare", which was built on the Latin "authenticus", borrowed from Greek "authentikos", meaning "genuine" or "original". The Greek root points to a sense of power and origin: something authentic was something that came from its source with full authority. That sense of reliable origin carried through the medieval period, where "authenticare" meant to render something legally valid or to certify it as genuine. The noun "authentication" is a plain English formation: the verb "authenticate" with the suffix "-ation", which turns a verb of action into a noun for the process. That suffix traces back through Latin "-ātiō", passed through Old French "-ation" and Middle English "-acioun" before settling into its modern spelling. The noun therefore names the act of certifying something as genuine, which is exactly what checking a password or a passport does today.

Synonyms: verification, validation, confirmation, substantiation, credentialing

Antonyms: falsification, deceit, imposture, misrepresentation, disavowal