A unique name, number, or code used to distinguish one item from others in a system. In computing, a sequence of characters used to identify variables, functions, or data.
From Latin 'identificare' meaning to make identical, formed from 'idem' (same) and 'facere' (to make). The term emerged in English during the 19th century and gained technical significance with the rise of computing and database systems.
Every digital interaction relies on identifiers - from your social security number to your phone's MAC address to the ISBN on books. The challenge of creating truly unique identifiers led to innovations like UUIDs (universally unique identifiers), which have a probability of duplication so low it's essentially impossible.
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