How Do You Spell IDENTIKIT?

Pronunciation: [a͡ɪdˈɛntɪkˌɪt] (IPA)

The word "identikit" is commonly used to describe a pictorial representation of a suspect created by law enforcement officials. It is pronounced as /aɪˈdɛntɪkɪt/ with the stressed syllable 'ident' and the second syllable pronounced as 'kit'. The spelling of 'kit' is consistent with its pronunciation as the sound 'ɪt' is commonly spelt with the letters 'it'. The word's origin comes from 'identity' and 'kit', which is a reference to a toolkit that contains various parts to make a whole.

IDENTIKIT Meaning and Definition

1. Identikit is a noun that refers to a graphic representation or composite image of a person's face, derived from the description provided by a witness or a victim. It is a specialized tool used in law enforcement to create a visual likeness of a suspect when no photographic evidence is available. The term "identikit" is an abbreviation of "identification kit."

   The process of creating an identikit involves the selection of different facial features, such as eyes, nose, mouth, hair, and other distinctive characteristics, from a collection of pre-drawn images. These components are then assembled in various combinations to form a composite image that closely resembles the description provided by the eyewitness or victim. The goal is to assist investigators in generating leads and aiding in the identification or apprehension of a suspect.

   Identikits are commonly used in cases where witnesses or victims have only a partial memory of the perpetrator's appearance. By combining these fragments into a unified image, identikits help bridge the gap between the witness's memory and the investigator's understanding, potentially leading to significant breakthroughs in criminal investigations.

   Though identikits serve as valuable tools in law enforcement, their accuracy is limited to the quality and clarity of the descriptions provided. Furthermore, the subjective interpretation of the eyewitness or victim may introduce biases, resulting in a less accurate representation. Nevertheless, identikits remain valuable aids in assisting investigations where visual identification is crucial.

Common Misspellings for IDENTIKIT

• identitie
• identitity
• identiity
• identifid
• identifity
• identitiy
• identift
• identiti
• identikitt
• identikat
• Identik
• identicket
• Identisme

Etymology of IDENTIKIT

The word "identikit" is derived from the combination of two words: "identity" and "kitchen". The term was coined in the 1960s and originally referred to a police technique or kit used to create composite pictures or likenesses of suspects. The "identity" part of the term signifies the purpose of creating a visual representation of an individual's appearance, while "kitchen" suggests the idea of putting together or assembling the composite image using various interchangeable elements, much like cooking in a kitchen. Over time, "identikit" also came to be used more generally to refer to any method or technique that creates a person's likeness using composite parts.

Similar spelling words for IDENTIKIT

• identified,
• identify,
• identifying,
• identical,
• identically,
• identifier,
• identity.

Plural form of IDENTIKIT is IDENTIKITS