Authentication: Checking who someone is — usually with a password, an OTP or "Sign in with Google".
Example
Logging in to the company portal with your email and password is authentication.
Why Authentication matters for IT interns
Login features are common intern tasks, and confusing authentication with authorization is a common interview mistake.
Where you will hear it
You will hear this term in development teams, in code reviews and technical discussions, and in technical interviews. If someone uses it and you are not sure what they mean in your project, it is completely fine to ask; every team uses terms a little differently.
Related terms
- API: A defined way for one piece of software to talk to another.
- Authorization: Checking what someone is allowed to do after they have logged in.
- Backend: The server-side part of an application that handles logic, data, security and communication with databases…
- Code Quality: How easy code is to read, understand, test and change — not just whether it works.
- Code Review: When teammates read your code changes before they are merged, to catch problems and suggest improvements.
- Compiler: A tool that converts the code you write into something the computer can run, and reports mistakes before the…
Previous term: Artificial Intelligence (AI) | Next term: Authorization
Related guides
- Which Technology Should I Learn for an IT Internship?
- Frontend vs Backend for an Internship
- Technical Interview Questions for Freshers
Frequently asked questions
What is Authentication?
Checking who someone is — usually with a password, an OTP or "Sign in with Google".
What is an example of Authentication?
Logging in to the company portal with your email and password is authentication.
Why does Authentication matter for IT interns?
Login features are common intern tasks, and confusing authentication with authorization is a common interview mistake.
Explore more internship terms
The IT Internship Glossary explains 199 terms you will hear before and during your internship, with simple definitions and real examples.
Browse all 199 terms
About the author
Dhaivat has 16+ years of experience in the IT industry, working on AI and cloud technologies, project delivery, and engineering leadership. He has interviewed and mentored many interns, wrote The Lost Intern, and runs the non-commercial Career Impact Initiative, mentoring students for free.