identify

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

/ aɪˈdɛn təˌfaɪ, ɪˈdɛn- /

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See synonyms for: identify / identified / identifies / identifying on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object), i·den·ti·fied, i·den·ti·fy·ing.

to recognize or establish as being a particular person or thing; verify the identity of: to identify handwriting; to identify the bearer of a check.

to serve as a means of identification for: His gruff voice quickly identified him.

to make, represent to be, or regard or treat as the same or identical: They identified Jones with the progress of the company.

to associate in name, feeling, interest, action, etc. (usually followed by with): He preferred not to identify himself with that group.

Biology. to determine to what group (a given specimen) belongs.

Psychology. to associate (one or oneself) with another person or a group of persons by identification.

verb (used without object), i·den·ti·fied, i·den·ti·fy·ing.

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.

to experience psychological identification: The audience identified with the play's characters.

OTHER WORDS FOR identify

1 distinguish, place, know, determine.

See synonyms for identify on Thesaurus.com

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CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of identify

1635–45; <Medieval Latin identificāre, equivalent to identi(tās) identity + -ficāre-fy

OTHER WORDS FROM identify

i·den·ti·fi·a·ble, adjectivei·den·ti·fi·a·bil·i·ty, i·den·ti·fi·a·ble·ness, nouni·den·ti·fi·er, nouno·ver·i·den·ti·fy, verb, o·ver·i·den·ti·fied, o·ver·i·den·ti·fy·ing.

pre·i·den·ti·fy, verb (used with object), pre·i·den·ti·fied, pre·i·den·ti·fy·ing.re·i·den·ti·fy, verb (used with object), re·i·den·ti·fied, re·i·den·ti·fy·ing.un·i·den·ti·fi·a·ble, adjectiveun·i·den·ti·fi·a·bly, adverbun·i·den·ti·fied, adjectiveun·i·den·ti·fy·ing, adjectivewell-i·den·ti·fied, adjective

Words nearby identify

identification bracelet, identification card, identification parade, identification tag, identifier, identify, Identi-Kit, identity, identity card, identity crisis, identity element

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use identify in a sentence

Correctly identifying such trends means being able to plan in advance and then taking advantage of heightened interest.
A comprehensive guide on using Google Trends for keyword research|Aayush Gupta|February 12, 2021|Search Engine Watch
Reporters Sapien and Sanders worked with Willis to identify several high-ranking NYPD commanders who had been promoted again and again despite long records of serious civilian complaints.
ProPublica’s “NYPD Files” Wins John Jay College/Harry Frank Guggenheim Award for Excellence in Criminal Justice Reporting|by ProPublica|February 11, 2021|ProPublica
First, the team worked to identify whether they had assigned the most relevant URLs for the keywords.
Case study: Schneider Electric’s digital transformation through centralized search|Evan Kent and Kimberly Dutcher|February 11, 2021|Search Engine Watch
If scientists are able to identify an immune correlate of protection, however, “and you can demonstrate that kids get that with the vaccine, that’s even more satisfying,” O’Leary said.
Fauci: Vaccines for Kids as Young as First Graders Could Be Authorized by September|by Caroline Chen|February 11, 2021|ProPublica

The funds were to be transferred to the CPUC quarterly, but the CPUC didn’t try to identify whether any of that money was outstanding.
Utility Companies Owe Millions to This State Regulatory Agency. The Problem? The Agency Can’t Track What It’s Owed.|by Scott Morris, Bay City News Foundation|February 10, 2021|ProPublica
We have thousands of users who identify themselves as transgendered and they are welcome members of the Grindr community.
Grindr’s Trans Dating Problem|David Levesley|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
He loves the fact that, like on Grindr, users can identify as transgender.
Grindr’s Trans Dating Problem|David Levesley|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
But most likely it was linked to the way priests identify with the poor in the face of government and criminal abuses.
Mexico’s Priests Are Marked for Murder|Jason McGahan|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Certainly my instinct is to identify with the police, no matter the circumstance.
A Veteran’s View: NYC Cold War Between Cops and City Hall|Matt Gallagher|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The others are difficult to identify, since they reacted with other oxygen-bearing molecules in the soil.
Methane on Mars: Life or Just Gas?|Matthew R. Francis|December 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Ordinarily, no attempt is made to identify any but the tubercle bacillus and the gonococcus.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd
All the same, she was quite at a loss to know how she was to identify the General Maxgregor when he did come.
The Weight of the Crown|Fred M. White
In some cases proper evidence may be used to identify things where the description in the will is ambiguous.
Putnam's Handy Law Book for the Layman|Albert Sidney Bolles
The thing bequeathed must be described with sufficient clearness to identify it, nothing more is required.
Putnam's Handy Law Book for the Layman|Albert Sidney Bolles
However, both let it pass, and no one through the whole school attempted to identify it.
The Daisy Chain|Charlotte Yonge

British Dictionary definitions for identify

identify

/ (aɪˈdɛntɪˌfaɪ) /

verb -fies, -fying or -fied (mainly tr)

to prove or recognize as being a certain person or thing; determine the identity of

to consider as the same or equivalent

(also intr often foll by with) to consider (oneself) as similar to another

to determine the taxonomic classification of (a plant or animal)

(intr usually foll by with) psychol to engage in identification

Derived forms of identify

identifiable, adjectiveidentifiably, adverb

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

identify

OTHER WORDS FOR identify

Origin of identify

OTHER WORDS FROM identify

Words nearby identify

Words related to identify

How to use identify in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for identify

Derived forms of identify