1. the personal qualities that one claims and displays to others so consistently that they are considered to be part of one’s essential, stable self. This public persona may be an accurate indicator of the private, personal self, but it may also be a deliberately contrived image (see social image).

2. in social psychology, the part of self-concept that is derived from memberships in social groups or categories, ranging from family to nationality or race. Social identity is distinguished from the public self and the private self. Also called collective self.