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REFERENCE

recognize

v.
US //ˈɹɛkəɡˌnaɪz// rec·og·nize
  1. 1 to identify from memory (v.)
    A2 Elementary

    to know who someone is or what something is because you have seen or heard them before.

    to identify a person or thing from previous encounter or knowledge. Transitive — requires a direct object.

    Example

    I didn't recognize him at first because he had grown a beard.

    Example

    Even after twenty years apart, she could still recognize his distinctive laugh from across a crowded room.
  2. 2 to accept as valid (v.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Formal Law

    to officially accept that something is real, true, or legal.

    to acknowledge the existence, validity, or legality of an entity or claim.

    Example

    The government does not recognize the new passports issued by that country.

    Example

    The international community was slow to recognize the sovereignty of the breakaway republic despite its established borders.
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  1. 3 to show appreciation (v.)
    B1 Intermediate

    to give someone praise or an award for the good work they have done.

    to show formal appreciation or provide public credit for an achievement or service.

    Example

    The company recognized her long service with a special gold watch.

    Example

    The charity gala was organized specifically to recognize the tireless efforts of the volunteers who worked through the crisis.
  2. 4 to realize a truth (v.)
    B1 Intermediate

    to understand or notice a fact or a situation.

    to apprehend or realize the nature or quality of a situation or fact.

    Example

    They finally recognized that the old system was no longer working.

    Example

    Economists now recognize that the initial projections failed to account for the rapid shift in consumer behavior.
Etymology 1

Borrowed from Middle French reconoistre, from Old French reconoistre, from Latin recognoscere, first attested in the 16th century. Displaced native English acknow (“to recognize, perceive as”), compare German erkennen and Swedish erkänna. Latin had rare recognizare (“to try by jury”).

Etymology 2

From re- + cognize.

Word family

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