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.”

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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

Tumors carry mutations that can produce abnormal proteins the immune system can recognize.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 24, 2026

"AI makes it possible to analyze these conversations at scale, identifying patterns in what people are sharing that would otherwise be difficult to recognize."

From Science Daily ● Oct. 22, 2026

You may not even recognize her when you see her, par for the course for the “Orphan Black” shape-shifter.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 22, 2026

Both El-Sayed, 41, and Rogers, 63, recognize the importance of Jewish votes.

From Barron's ● Oct. 22, 2026

Silent, each seems to recognize something in the other.

From "Will’s Race for Home" by Jewell Parker Rhodes

Magazine’s annual Innovators issue, which recognizes groundbreaking talents from a range of disciplines.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 24, 2026

The genus name Wyoteuthis means "a squid from Wyoming," while the species name linsterorum recognizes Cliff Linster and his family for their contributions.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 20, 2026

"MMA recognizes the ocean floor surrounding American Samoa carries cultural, economic, and environmental significance, requiring that the pursuit of national security and energy readiness is balanced with rigorous environmental stewardship," he added.

From Barron's ● Oct. 19, 2026

“Everybody in our building that has been around him for the last, you know, six to eight weeks just recognizes what a special human being he is,” Redick said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2026

Annabelle recognizes her from the photo she saw online.

From "A Heart in a Body in the World" by Deb Caletti

Its importance was recognized with a Nobel Prize in 1953.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 22, 2026

But the Rays recognized that Baker’s ordinary statistics concealed a changeup that might become the ultimate weapon.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026

"We get satisfaction from the idea that our craftsmanship is recognized in other countries and that people see value in handmade things," Miguel Reynoso, a 58-year-old papel picado producer, told AFP.

From Barron's ● Oct. 21, 2026

He immediately recognized echoes of Baroque painting in Hodges’ loose, expressive brushwork, his agile handling of shadow and light.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 21, 2026

He recognized the feeling of being alone with no one to talk to.

From "The Way to Rio Luna" by Zoraida Cordova

“Investors are increasingly recognizing the enormous commercial potential of this convergence between AI and precision medicine,” Meng wrote.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 21, 2026

The animals also became less socially interactive and had difficulty recognizing objects they had encountered before, indicating problems with memory.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 18, 2026

Then, for a miserable stretch, several Red Line stations I frequented seemed to stop recognizing it.

From Salon ● Oct. 17, 2026

In my classroom, that means turning to the Bard to teach the most important lesson in accounting: recognizing, in the moment, when you are the one taking the first step down the slope.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026

The dandelion horse, recognizing her unspoken wish, set her down gently.

From "Aru Shah and the End of Time" by Roshani Chokshi

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