AUTHENTICATION

n. confirmation, verification; showing to be true

Authentication (from Greek αυθεντικός; real or genuine, from authentes; author) is the act of establishing or confirming something (or someone) as authentic, that is, that claims made by or about the thing are true. Authenticating an object may mean confirming its provenance, whereas authenticating a person often consists of verifying their identity. Authentication depends upon one or more authentication factors.
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Noun
1. a mark on an article of trade to indicate its origin and authenticity
(synonym) hallmark, assay-mark
(hypernym) marker, marking, mark
(derivation) authenticate
2. validating the authenticity of something or someone
(synonym) certification
(hypernym) validation, proof, substantiation
(derivation) authenticate

[Any] Security measure designed to establish the validity of a transmission, message, or originator, or a means of verifying an individual's eligibility to receive specific categories of information. [NIS]

<security> The verification of the identity of a person or process. In a communication system, authentication verifies that messages really come from their stated source, like the signature on a (paper) letter.
(2001-03-16)