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Synonyms

recognize

American

[rek-uhg-nahyz] / ˈrɛk əgˌnaɪz /

especially British, recognise

verb (used with object)

to identify as something or someone previously seen, known, etc..

He had changed so much that one could scarcely recognize him.
to identify from knowledge of appearance or characteristics.

I recognized him from the description.
They recognized him as a fraud.
to perceive as existing or true; realize.

to be the first to recognize a fact.

Synonyms:

concede, grant, understand, appreciate, acknowledge
to acknowledge as the person entitled to speak at a particular time.

The Speaker recognized the congressman from Maine.
to acknowledge formally as entitled to treatment as a political unit.

The United States promptly recognized Israel.
to acknowledge or accept formally a specified factual or legal situation.

to recognize a successful revolutionary regime as the de facto government of the country.
to acknowledge or treat as valid.

to recognize a claim.
to acknowledge acquaintance with, as by a greeting, handshake, etc.
to show appreciation of (achievement, service, merit, etc.), as by some reward, public honor, or the like.
Law. to acknowledge (an illegitimate child) as one's own.
Biochemistry, Immunology. to bind with, cleave, or otherwise react to (another substance) as a result of fitting its molecular shape or a portion of its shape.

recognize British

/ ˈrɛkəɡˌnaɪz /

verb

to perceive (a person, creature, or thing) to be the same as or belong to the same class as something previously seen or known; know again
to accept or be aware of (a fact, duty, problem, etc)

to recognize necessity
to give formal acknowledgment of the status or legality of (a government, an accredited representative, etc)
to grant (a person) the right to speak in a deliberative body, debate, etc
to give a token of thanks for (a service rendered, etc)
to make formal acknowledgment of (a claim, etc)
to show approval or appreciation of (something good or pleasing)
to acknowledge or greet (a person), as when meeting by chance
(intr) to enter into a recognizance

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of recognize

First recorded in 1425–75; recogn(ition) ( def. ) + -ize ( def. ); replacing late Middle English racunnysen, recognisen, from Old French reconuiss-, stem of reconuistre, from Latin recognōscere, equivalent to re- re- ( def. ) + cognōscere “to know ¹ ( def. ) ”; see cognition ( def. )

Explanation

When, at a meeting, you wave your hand wildly, you want to be recognized. When the chairperson finally says, “I recognize the man who is about to fall out of his seat,” don't forget what you wanted to say. The verb recognize comes from the Latin root words re (again) and cognoscere (to know) – literally “to know again” or “to identify.” If your own identical twin doesn't recognize you, you might be wearing too much makeup. Recognize can also mean “to acknowledge” or “to appreciate.” When you recognize the donors for their generous contributions to your fundraising event, your parents say, “You're welcome.”

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Vocabulary lists containing recognize

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

recognize recognizes recognized recognizing

More-recent experiments taught participants to recognize that their initial interpretation of stress was only one possible frame; they subsequently reported fewer physical symptoms.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 27, 2026

Specifically, both Russia and Ukraine have deployed drones with autonomous functions using AI on the battlefield to recognize targets, navigate and self-guide to targets.

From Salon ● Sep. 24, 2026

Angelenos recognize Armand Hammer as the founder and namesake of Westwood’s Hammer Museum.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2026

“You’d have to work pretty hard to not recognize that this is different,” University of Texas professor James Henson, director of the Texas Politics Project, told me.

From Slate ● Sep. 21, 2026

“The good thing about knowing magic is real is that you’ll be able to recognize it more.”

From "The Way to Rio Luna" by Zoraida Cordova

At the same time, she recognizes the friction as climate-tech VCs move toward AI.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said the deal recognizes the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Denmark and Greenlanders’ right to self-determination.

From Salon ● Sep. 19, 2026

“The defense recognizes and mourns the loss of a young life,” she said in a statement.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026

The Bill of Rights recognizes surrogates’ bodily autonomy and allows them to make all healthcare decisions for themselves and the pregnancy, including whether to terminate it.

From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026

Lynn goes silent, like she recognizes that as a spark of brilliance but can’t bring herself to admit it.

From "Insurgent" by Veronica Roth

Saleh was interviewed in January, when Bab el-Mandeb was thrust into the power struggle between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, the friendly-but-occasionally-fractious backers of Yemen’s internationally recognized government.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 27, 2026

The researchers say this suggests that gender identity was recognized from an early stage of life and was reflected in burial practices.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 27, 2026

Among them is Hiroshi Nishimune, an internationally recognized expert on the neuromuscular junction and a co-author of the new study.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 24, 2026

A few days later, the phone rang and I recognized Jake’s voice: “Hey, they’re up to a hundred grand!”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026

Jeremy recognized the poem; it was the one he had recited on the night he hatched the egg.

From "Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher" by Bruce Coville

That is roughly the same as People’s entire market value, suggesting to many on Wall Street that the market isn’t recognizing potential value in People’s seemingly disparate holdings.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026

The City Council voted this summer to install a historical marker at Child’s former home, formally recognizing its place in the city’s history.

From Salon ● Sep. 24, 2026

The animals received a reward for recognizing only one of the orientations.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 24, 2026

Cassius accepted the hero award from the city of Miami Police Department at a ceremony recognizing his bravery on Wednesday.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2026

“He was recognizing patterns no one else was seeing.”

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023