recognition

American  

[rek-uhg-nish-uhn] / ˌrɛk əgˈnɪʃ ən /

noun

1. an act of recognizing or the state of being recognized.

2. the identification of something as having been previously seen, heard, known, etc.

3. the perception of something as existing or true; realization.

4. the acknowledgment of something as valid or as entitled to consideration.

   the recognition of a claim.

5. the acknowledgment of achievement, service, merit, etc.

   Synonyms:

   acceptance, notice

6. the expression of this in the form of some token of appreciation.

   This promotion constitutes our recognition of her exceptional ability.

7. formal acknowledgment conveying approval or sanction.

8. acknowledgment of right to be heard or given attention.

   The chairman refused recognition to any delegate until order could be restored.

9. Psychology. the act or process of retrieving information previously encoded and stored in memory, when cued with the targeted information itself.

   The paper studies the effect of storytelling on English learners’ recognition of vocabulary words.

10. International Law. an official act by which one state acknowledges the existence of another state or government, or of belligerency or insurgency.

11. the automated conversion of information, as words or images, into a form that can be processed by a machine, especially a computer or computerized device.

12. Biochemistry. the responsiveness of one substance to another based on the reciprocal fit of a portion of their molecular shapes.

---

recognition British  

/ ˌrɛkəɡˈnɪʃən, rɪˈkɒɡnɪtɪv /

noun

1. the act of recognizing or fact of being recognized

2. acceptance or acknowledgment of a claim, duty, fact, truth, etc

3. a token of thanks or acknowledgment

4. formal acknowledgment of a government or of the independence of a country

5. an instance of a chairman granting a person the right to speak in a deliberative body, debate, etc

---

recognition Cultural  

1. In diplomacy, the act by which one nation acknowledges that a foreign government is a legitimate government and exchanges diplomats with it. The withholding of recognition is a way for one government to show its disapproval of another.

---

Other Word Forms

• prerecognition noun
• recognitional adjective
• recognitive adjective
• recognitory adjective
• unrecognitory adjective

Etymology

Origin of recognition

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English recognicion, either from Old French or directly from Latin recognitiōn- (stem of recognitiō ), equivalent to recognit(us) (past participle of recognōscere; recognize ) + -iōn- -ion

Explanation

Recognition is when you remember something or someone you're familiar with — like the flash of recognition you experience at your high school reunion. Recognition isn't just about remembering what something looks like — it's also used to describe when you remember that someone has done something special, and decide to recognize their efforts with an award or speech. This type of recognition is a form of acknowledgment, a way to say "we approve" or "good work!"

Example Sentences

The UK government carefully voiced policy differences with the US on trade wars, recognition of Palestine or the future of Greenland.

From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026

This is not a critique; it’s simply a recognition: that the food of that time was built for a different purpose.

From Salon • Apr. 10, 2026

If its return leans too far away from the emotional core that defined it, or reshapes its characters beyond recognition, it could strain the connection.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026

It compares evenly with the search and rescue missions undertaken during the Vietnam era in “competence and bravery” but exceeds those earlier missions in only one regard: recognition.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026

When I get to Marlena’s horses, they snort in recognition and flap their lips against my hands, which still smell like baked apples.

From "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen

Related Words

• acceptance
• admission
• appreciation
• awareness
• concession
• perception
• realization
• respect
• understanding