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

Melanoma tumors carry lots of mutations, giving the vaccine plenty of targets to train the immune system to recognize.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 24, 2026

“Scammers recognize this and devote a lot of time to develop the trust needed to exploit the victim.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 24, 2026

However, they have yet to determine which characteristics the birds recognize or why they appear more cautious around women.

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

"Sancho, you know nothing of knighthood! It may not look like a helmet to you, but to me...oh, I recognize it...the enchanted helmet I shall claim for myself."

From "Adventures of Don Quixote" by Argentina Palacios

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

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 24, 2026

Activated T cells carry a surface receptor called CXCR3 that recognizes CXCL10, allowing the cells to follow its chemical signals.

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

Like virtually everyone in her generation, Kay recognizes the ground broken by Taylor Swift.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026

“And now that we’ve recognized outstanding students in each subject area, it’s time for the award that recognizes outstanding achievement across all subject areas,” Dr. Cohen says.

From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison

The fossil shows that early birds were more anatomically and ecologically diverse than previously recognized.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 24, 2026

Even economists, who overwhelmingly deplore protectionism, have long recognized its political appeal.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 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

“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

Include relevant holdings inside funds, while recognizing that a broad index also contains businesses with other sources of earnings.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 22, 2026

Ng says the repeat collaboration with the Swiss drugmaker also shows global multinationals are recognizing Hansoh’s antibody-drug conjugate capabilities.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026

Even when a person is fully unconscious under general anesthesia, their brain may still be doing something remarkable: processing language, recognizing patterns, and even anticipating which words will come next.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 15, 2026

Stella Stahl, a Raman spokesperson, said in June that her boss made the switch after recognizing that the deal gave the city “greater fiscal certainty.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 12, 2026

Except for the pleasure of recognizing the signatures, the reading turned out to be flatly uninteresting.

From "Jazz" by Toni Morrison

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