Phrase guide

identity crisis

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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No pronunciation record was provided for this word.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A crisis of personal identity.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: human-sciences, psychology, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

distress and disorientation (especially in adolescence) resulting from conflicting pressures and uncertainty about one's self and one's role in society

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: psychological state, psychological condition, mental state, mental condition

History

Etymology

Coined by German psychologist Erik Erikson.

Across languages

Translations

12 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Azerbaijani: kimlik böhranı — crisis of personal identity
  • Czech: krize identity — crisis of personal identity
  • Finnish: identiteettikriisi — crisis of personal identity
  • French: crise identitaire — crisis of personal identity
  • French: crise d'identité — crisis of personal identity
  • German: Identitätskrise — crisis of personal identity
  • Indonesian: krisis identitas — crisis of personal identity
  • Polish: kryzys tożsamości — crisis of personal identity
  • Swedish: identitetskris — crisis of personal identity
  • Turkish: kimlik krizi — crisis of personal identity
  • Vietnamese: khủng hoảng bản sắc — crisis of personal identity
  • Vietnamese: khủng hoảng danh tính — crisis of personal identity