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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.”

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

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

But once again, the link led to a website I didn’t recognize.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 4, 2026

But, Norris said, public administrators should recognize that “you’re not going to be able to beat biology, so if you create this green space, you should also have the infrastructure to keep those places safe.”

From Slate ● Aug. 4, 2026

Investigators hope someone will recognize the writing style or other details contained in the notes and contact law enforcement.

From Salon ● Aug. 1, 2026

Fans who recognize Beck’s name are as likely to do so because of his haunting cover of the Beatles’ “A Day in the Life” as for his original work.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026

“Do you never study your grammar lessons? And no, we are not out for a meander, though I do recognize that from last week’s vocabulary drill.”

From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan

"This important certification validates the rigor of our airplane's design and recognizes the determination and resilience of our 737 MAX development team," said Stephanie Pope, president of Boeing Commercial Airplanes.

From Barron's ● Aug. 3, 2026

The FAA clearance “validates the rigor of our airplane’s design and recognizes the determination and resilience of our 737 MAX development team,” Boeing said in a statement.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 3, 2026

“We want a fair contract for our members that recognizes the value of flight attendants’ work and recognizes our position as employees of the second-largest carrier in Canada.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026

This recognizes Douglass as one of the earliest and most prominent popular constitutionalists.

From Slate ● Jul. 24, 2026

Beneath it, Marco stands with his arms around a woman Bailey recognizes instantly as the illusionist.

From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern

Justice Antonin Scalia was able to frame his majority opinion as the vindication of a right so obvious that virtually the entire country already recognized it to some degree.

From Slate ● Aug. 3, 2026

"He was keen on making Nepal recognized in the world and developing our mountaineering sector."

From Barron's ● Aug. 2, 2026

The researchers say this newly recognized role of superheating could help volcanologists better interpret monitoring data and improve forecasts of eruption behavior.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 1, 2026

The Pima County Sheriff’s Department released the handwritten notes Friday, saying investigators believe the author’s distinctive language, grammar and phrasing could be recognized by someone who knows the writer.

From Salon ● Aug. 1, 2026

Clare recognized that voice, for he’d heard it only yesterday: the girl’s mother.

From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman

CelcomDigi is expected to begin recognizing Digital Nasional profit or losses from 3Q or 4Q following the ownership transition.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026

But she said the mission’s account of its own history seemed “whitewashed,” saying little about the Native loss and trauma that historians are increasingly recognizing in accounts of the missions.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026

The same categorization task was now being handled mainly by the temporal cortex, a region involved in memory and recognizing complex objects.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 12, 2026

They are part of the American story, and understanding that narrative is what allows us to appreciate how far we have come while recognizing how much work remains.

From Salon ● Jul. 10, 2026

He was known to fire longtime employees for not recognizing an obscure line of movie dialogue he quoted, or if he discovered they weren’t familiar with one of his favorite cartoons, comic books, or videogames.

From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline

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