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, rɪˈkɒɡnɪtɪv /

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

It is not the first time a Sainsbury's facial recognition system - supplied by technology firm Facewatch - has led to an innocent shopper being challenged.

From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026

Sainsbury's has suspended its use of live facial recognition technology at one of its London branches after a customer was wrongly challenged as a shoplifter and asked to leave.

From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026

And while social status and widespread name recognition can help, they are hardly a guarantee, according to some people connected to the club.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026

The football journey of the 6-foot-6, 285-pound junior involves a change of positions, a change in eating habits and a recognition he has found his calling.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 15, 2026

It had changed the face of our village beyond recognition and altered the lives of its inhabitants in a myriad ways.

From "Nectar in a Sieve" by Kamala Markandaya

The revelations also put California school districts — already gearing up for annual commemorative recognitions of Chavez and his contributions — in a difficult position.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 18, 2026

However, Messi said his individual achievements were secondary to those won with his teams, though he did concede they were "nice recognitions".

From BBC ● Jun. 25, 2023

The lawyer, Tim Grace, said that Kriv had received nearly 150 commendations and recognitions and had earned two awards for saving lives.

From Salon ● Jun. 6, 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

These steps had after the first flush of reaction inevitably had to be communications of my state, recognitions and admissions; which had the effect, I hasten to add, of producing sympathies, supports and reassurances.

From Notes of a Son and Brother by Henry James

Related Words

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