What does "recognition" mean?

1. (identifying someone or something) the act of knowing who someone is or what something is because you have seen them before. 2. (praise and thanks) public praise or a reward for something good that you have done. 3. (acceptance of truth or status) the act of accepting that something is true, legal, or official. 4. (technology/computing) the ability of a computer or machine to identify things like faces or voices.

recognition

US //ˌɹɛkəɡˈnɪʃən// UK //ɹˌɛkəɡnˈɪʃən// recog·ni·tion

1 identifying someone or something (n.)
B2 Upper Intermediate

the act of knowing who someone is or what something is because you have seen them before.

the cognitive process of identifying a person, place, or thing from previous encounters or knowledge.

Example

He changed so much over the years that he was almost beyond recognition.

Example

The witness provided a detailed description, but the passage of time had made positive recognition of the suspect difficult during the lineup.
- identification
- recollection
2 praise and thanks (n.)
B2 Upper Intermediate

public praise or a reward for something good that you have done.

formal acknowledgement or appreciation of a person's services, achievements, or abilities.

Example

She finally received the recognition she deserved for her years of voluntary work.

Example

The researcher gained international recognition after her breakthrough study was published in a prestigious medical journal.
- neglect
- disregard

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3 acceptance of truth or status (n.)
C1 Advanced Formal

the act of accepting that something is true, legal, or official.

the formal admission or acceptance of the validity, truth, or existence of something.

Example

The government's recognition of the new trade union was a huge victory for the workers.

Example

The diplomatic recognition of the breakaway territory remains a contentious issue among members of the international community.
- denial
- rejection
4 technology/computing (n.)
B2 Upper Intermediate Technical Computing

the ability of a computer or machine to identify things like faces or voices.

the automated identification of patterns, such as text, images, or sounds, by a computer system.

Example

Most modern smartphones use facial recognition to unlock the screen.

Example

The software uses advanced voice recognition to transcribe meetings in real time with high accuracy.
- detection
- processing

Origin

Inherited from Middle English recognicion, from Middle French recognicion, recognition and its etymon Latin recognitiōnem (accusative of recognitiō), from recognitus, past participle of recognōscere.