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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

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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

“I can’t recognize him in this picture,” the doctor said between sobs.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026

During fieldwork one night in 2006, Chris Austin, a professor and curator of herpetology at the Louisiana State University Museum of Natural Science, encountered a snake in New Guinea that he did not recognize.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 18, 2026

The law can recognize a surrogate’s bodily autonomy without transforming her into the legal parent of the child she carries.

From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026

Litowitz: The first thing to recognize is that it is even more dangerous to say, “I do not know how to navigate uncertainty, so I will just use my old model.”

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 15, 2026

It took a second for him to recognize me.

From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu

“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

Given today’s relatively high interest rates, Beeler, who works in supply-chain finance, said he feels like he’s paying a premium to the bank to own his home, although he recognizes there are benefits to owning.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 16, 2026

The Vatican is one of a small coterie of governments that officially recognizes Taiwan, which Beijing claims as part of China.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026

He turns and his face flushes red when he recognizes me.

From "Girl in the Blue Coat" by Monica Hesse

The German physician-scientist Paul Ehrlich, meanwhile, recognized that dyes and related chemicals, because of their binding properties, might selectively attack pathogens.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026

Galileo Galilei and Isaac Newton recognized this universality of free fall centuries ago.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 18, 2026

“Melanie gives Reese Witherspoon in ‘Election,’ like, ‘I will do whatever I have to do for the part,’ and I recognized that in myself as a kid.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026

Roebuck immediately recognized the long gun in the man’s gloved hands.

From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026

He recognized the shirt he had worn yesterday, and he recognized the chocolate milk he had spilled on that shirt at dinner last night.

From "All About Sam" by Lois Lowry

The strongest associations appeared in frontotemporal regions of the brain involved in recognizing words, speaking fluently, and temporarily holding language information in mind.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 14, 2026

"Be careful what you wish for," Barker said with a smile, recognizing the phrase also applies to his film's meteoric success.

From Barron's ● Sep. 13, 2026

This means recognizing that the U.S. homeland is no longer a geographic refuge.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026

If you’re under 59½ years old, the 10% early withdrawal penalty applies to the cost basis you’re recognizing, though not to the appreciation.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 10, 2026

As they roamed in a tight pack up the sidewalk, people started recognizing them.

From "Dog Squad" by Chris Grabenstein

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