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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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

“It took a very long time to recognize that cost mattered,” says Rodney Comegys, Vanguard Capital Management’s chief investment officer.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 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

LoBue has worked to develop educational materials, including an online course that teaches seafarers how to recognize whale behavior, report sightings and avoid collision.

From Barron's ● 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

Jonah stared at the girl, to make sure he’d recognize her later on too.

From "Found" by Margaret Peterson Haddix

The players association presumably recognizes the most salient fact about the owners’ approach to labor relations, which is their history of of treating the players like peons and lying.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026

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

Because the federal government recognizes same-sex marriage, this advice should apply to both opposite-sex and same-sex couples.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 12, 2026

But Mr. Trump also recognizes the need to prevent AI from being weaponized against the homeland.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026

He doesn't know these boys, but he recognizes their uniforms.

From "The Boy Who Dared" by Susan Campbell Bartoletti

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

Her data analysis has contributed to visual projects shortlisted for the 2026 Sigma Awards and recognized with two bronze awards by the Society for News Design.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 22, 2026

Enslaved people generally had families, but these were not recognized in law.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026

It’s a reversal of fortune from a quarter-century ago, when media giants, including Rupert Murdoch’s Fox, recognized there were huge profits to be made by launching regional sports networks.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026

But her red-and.gold-plaid gown with full petticoats, which I recognized she’d sewn from her fortune-teller costume, was the envy of all.

From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan

Since FDR’s project, Congress passed a law recognizing that the president has authority to alter and improve the White House.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026

More than a decade ago, he was among the Chinese AI experts already at the forefront of using computers for humanlike tasks such as understanding language and recognizing faces.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026

"They have evolved with us to understand our expressions and cooperate with us, and recognizing that can change how we communicate with and care for them."

From Science Daily ● Aug. 11, 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

They spoke to him and he looked at them without recognizing them, saying things they did not understand.

From "One Hundred Years of Solitude" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

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