Academic identity refers to the experiences, ideas, beliefs and values of academics regarding the core values and principles of academic work. It is significant in defining the professional judgments, attitudes and behaviours of academics, and is fundamentally (re)constituted in the social, economic, cultural and political context of the academy. Hence, how the recent changes in the academy resulting from neoliberal mode of government is reflected on academic identity has attracted the attention of scholars globally. Although numerous studies have been conducted investigating academic identity in the face of these changes, the current understanding remains to be enriched through identifying transcendental features and patterns across studies conducted in diverse contexts. With this purpose, we conducted a meta-synthesis of 24 studies addressing academic identity in the neoliberalized academy. Three identity trajectories (i.e. the enterprising academic, the ambivalent academic and the authentic academic) emerged from the juxtaposition of neoliberal norms and the agentic endeavours of academics. The results were discussed from the perspective of Archer's dualism. Implications were made for future studies and for practice.