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 entity, institution, or organization regarding its nature or direction
England is the last place on earth one would expect to find a national identity crisis, yet … the English are now asking, "What is my nation?"—Wilson Quarterly

Examples of identity crisis in a Sentence

He is suffering from an identity crisis.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Pragiwaksono’s arrival in America spurred something of a comedic identity crisis. — Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 30 July 2026 The dominant thread, however, at least until full-scale mayhem erupts, is Peter Parker’s identity crisis, which gives a never-better Tom Holland soulful new notes to play in his fourth solo turn in the tights. — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 28 July 2026 At the same time, Europe’s identity crisis seems very unlikely to be resolved by such leaders as Merz, Keir Starmer, Mark Rutte, Ursula von der Leyen, and Kaja Kallas, who resemble human pinstripes rather than the brain trust of a vast body. — Cynthia Zarin, Harpers Magazine, 28 July 2026 Take this read on the identity crisis occurring in Dutch football after their round-of-32 elimination. — Adam Crafton, New York Times, 20 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for identity crisis

Word History

First Known Use

1941, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of identity crisis was in 1941

Rhymes for identity crisis

See All Rhymes for identity crisis

Browse Nearby Words

identity card
identity crisis
identity element
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Identity crisis.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/identity%20crisis. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

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

More from Merriam-Webster on identity crisis

Nglish: Translation of identity crisis for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about identity crisis

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

How long is a jiffy?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
asap street sign
Figure Out These Acronyms ASAP You don't have to be a NASA engineer to get these...
See All