identify

[ ahy-den-tuh-fahy, ih-den- ]

verb (used with object)

, i·den·ti·fied, i·den·ti·fy·ing.

1. to recognize or establish as being a particular person or thing; verify the identity none of:

   to identify handwriting; to identify the bearer of a check.

   Synonyms: determine, know, place, distinguish

2. to serve as a means of identification none for:

   His gruff voice quickly identified him.

3. to make, represent to be, or regard or treat as the same or identical:

   They identified Jones with the progress of the company.

4. to associate in name, feeling, interest, action, etc. (usually followed by with ):

   He preferred not to identify himself with that group.

5. Biology. to determine to what group (a given specimen) belongs.
6. Psychology. to associate (one or oneself ) with another person or a group of persons by identification none.

verb (used without object)

, i·den·ti·fied, i·den·ti·fy·ing.

1. to associate oneself in feeling, interest, action, etc., with a specified group or belief system (usually followed by as or with ):

   He identifies as bisexual. She identifies with feminism. My family identifies Hispanic.

2. to experience psychological identification:

   The audience identified with the play's characters.

identify

/ aɪˈdɛntɪˌfaɪ /

verb

1. to prove or recognize as being a certain person or thing; determine the identity of
2. to consider as the same or equivalent
3. also introften foll bywith to consider (oneself) as similar to another
4. to determine the taxonomic classification of (a plant or animal)
5. intrusually foll bywith psychol to engage in identification

Derived Forms

• iˈdentiˌfiable, adjective
• iˈdentiˌfiably, adverb

Other Words From

• i·denti·fia·ble adjective
• i·denti·fia·bili·ty i·denti·fia·ble·ness noun
• i·denti·fier noun
• over·i·denti·fy verb overidentified overidentifying
• prei·denti·fy verb (used with object) preidentified preidentifying
• rei·denti·fy verb (used with object) reidentified reidentifying
• uni·denti·fia·ble adjective
• uni·denti·fia·bly adverb
• uni·denti·fied adjective
• uni·denti·fying adjective
• well-i·denti·fied adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of identify¹

First recorded in 1635–45; from Medieval Latin identificāre, equivalent to identi(tās) identity none + -ficāre -fy none

Example Sentences

“Yee has made her characters so joyfully and ridiculously human that it’s impossible — to a heartbreaking degree — not to identify with them.”

From Los Angeles Times

The medic was responsible for interpreting the detailed images of internal body parts and identifying health issues like cancer.

From BBC

Recalls are also good because they signify that the process of investigation, identifying and tracking contaminated foods to alert producers and consumers is working.

From Los Angeles Times

The officer, who has not been identified, and nine others suffered non-life-threatening injuries and were being treated at local hospitals, officials said.

From Los Angeles Times

“ICE has identified a need for immigration detention services within the Western U.S. area of responsibility,” an agency spokesman, Richard Beam, told CalMatters.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• analyze
• classify
• describe
• determine
• diagnose
• establish
• find
• name
• pinpoint
• select
• single out
• spot