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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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Vocabulary lists containing recognize

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The SAT: Multiple-Meaning Words, List 4

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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

“This is their celebration too,” Kim told students, asking them to recognize the parents, teachers and mentors who helped them reach that moment.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026

Participants therefore had to recognize that the associations had changed, learn the new ones, and respond with the correct button using the appropriate hand and finger.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 20, 2026

“I’m urging the Canadian government to recognize that California doesn’t agree with these tariff wars, to lift these restrictions and increase consumer options to strengthen both our economies.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026

We recognize that making a decision about an inheritance while we are hurt could be a mistake.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 18, 2026

I caught a glimpse of the elevator operator who’d been brave enough to risk his own life to save others, and I wondered if history would ever recognize him for the hero he was.

From "Glitch" by Laura Martin

It’s as if he recognizes that so much recent blockbuster filmmaking has been about embedding heart-wrenching pathos into the nostalgic elements we know and love.

From Salon ● Aug. 20, 2026

Then there’s the slow, somber poignancy of Hawk’s final aria, in which he recognizes the impossibility of the relationship, and paves the way to betrayal.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026

“While it is good that Honeywell Aerospace recognizes that it has problems, fixing them will not be an overnight affair,” he said.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 6, 2026

The answer, as everyone but Ted recognizes, is no.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026

Tess recognizes the pain on my face and stays quiet while I keep my eyes closed and wait it out.

From "Legend" by Marie Lu

A jury member said he recognized the youngster's potential from the moment he clapped eyes on his red Cars-themed Lightning McQueen shorts and clogs.

From Barron's ● Aug. 22, 2026

It was only when she came across the aquatic-rescue training resource titled “Open Water Lifesaving” that she felt her difficulties were recognized.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026

Catching up with a recruiter friend one Friday, he said he would want to work in the southeast, closer to his wife’s family, at a brand that customers recognized when he returned to the workforce.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026

It is commonly present in yogurt and is generally recognized as a safe, off-the-shelf probiotic.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 19, 2026

“But it feels good to be recognized for something I love. Something I’ve been working at for a long time. So, I get nervous but I’m grateful, too.”

From "Clairboyance" by Kristiana Kahakauwila

That narrow and sensational definition is precisely what keeps women from recognizing and/or reporting their symptoms.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026

Her offense is recognizing the truth that differences between men and women are real and substantive.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026

“Hopefully, people come away recognizing that we have to think about doing things differently than maintaining the status quo, because a lot of what we’re doing is not working,” Goode says.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026

By establishing clearer criteria for recognizing tooth damage, the study strengthens an important tool used in paleontology.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 5, 2026

I asked, not recognizing the route we were on as the one that normally got us home.

From "Americanized" by Sara Saedi

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