recognition

American  

[rek-uhg-nish-uhn] / ˌrɛk əgˈnɪʃ ən /

noun

• recognitions
  plural

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.

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recognition British  

/ ˌrɛkəɡˈnɪʃən /

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

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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.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

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

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• recognitions
  plural

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; see 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

See Examples For:

recognition recognitions

Many readers have told me that these passages made them laugh in recognition of our shared language of hostility mixed with cheer mixed with save-the-dates.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 6, 2026

The BBC has received documents revealing that Harris County Sheriff's Office, which covers Houston, uses other facial recognition technology, Clearview AI.

From BBC ● Sep. 5, 2026

In this case, combining 19th-century museum specimens with observations of living frog populations allowed researchers to determine that Pristimantis milpe deserved recognition as a distinct species.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 5, 2026

“Whether visibility is the key to how close they’ll get before they make that recognition, we just don’t know,” Lowe said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 5, 2026

The entire sky garden was beyond recognition, burned and charred as though an unseen force had ravaged every iota of life there.

From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray

“Having those awards and recognitions from precisely the spaces that you’re making films to represent, it really validates the work,” Eduvijes Carrera said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 2, 2026

The Book Of HOV presents thousands of archived objects, including original recording masters, never-before-seen photos, iconic stage wear, prestigious awards and recognitions, as well as videos and artifacts from every facet on JAY-Z's professional life.

From Salon ● Aug. 5, 2023

A fundraiser in Drogheda on Friday aims to boost the campaign for a statue in Gogarty's honour; it would be one of the few recognitions of her achievements in Ireland.

From BBC ● May 17, 2023

Analysts said, however, that the right would likely agree to some changes to appease voters, including on areas like expanded social rights, consumer protections and Indigenous recognitions.

From Reuters ● May 8, 2023

Our progress was slow, for the crush was tremendous; but, as we went, her recognitions were frequent.

From The Dodd Family Abroad, Vol. II by Charles James Lever

Related Words

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