kennung

Kennung is a German noun meaning identification, designation, or an identifying mark. It refers to a label, code, or tag that serves to recognize or distinguish a person, object, document, or record. The term is used in contexts where a unique identifier is required, often as part of compound terms such as Benutzerkennung for a user ID.

Etymology: The word derives from kennen (to know) with the suffix -ung, forming a term that denotes the act or result of recognizing or identifying.

Usage domains: In information technology and administration, Kennung typically appears in terms like Benutzerkennung (user ID or login name) and, less commonly, to denote credentials used for authentication. In documentation or archiving, Kennung describes a unique code assigned to an entry or file. In transportation and telecommunications contexts, Kennung can refer to an identification code, such as Flugkennung (flight designation) or callsign, used to identify an entity in communications or records.

See also and related terms: Kennung is closely related to Identifikation and Identifikator, which emphasize the process or object of identification respectively. In practice, Kennung is often used together with credentials such as Kennwort or other Zugangsdaten when describing access to systems.