identified

Identified is the past participle of identify and an adjective meaning having been recognized, named, or established as having a particular identity. As a verb form, it appears in perfect and passive constructions, as in “the suspect has been identified” or “the object was identified by fingerprint analysis.” As an adjective, it applies to persons, objects, or data whose identity has been determined.

Etymology: The verb identify comes from Late Latin identificare, via Old French identifier, with roots in identitas, from idem “the same.”

Applications: In law, forensics, and security, identified individuals or objects are those whose identity is verified. In science and archaeology, organisms or artifacts are identified to species or category. In data management and research, identifying data are labeled so that identity can be established or protected.

Usage notes: Identified differs from clearly identifiable or identifiable as; it denotes completed identification. It is often followed by “as” or “by” when specifying the means of identification (“identified as John Doe,” “identified by DNA analysis”). In some contexts, especially legal or policy texts, “identified” can imply verified or officially recognized status.

See also: identify, identification, identity, identifiable.