recognized
v.v. to know someone or something because you have seen or heard them before. It can also mean to officially accept that something is true or important.
v. to identify someone or something from previous encounters or knowledge; to acknowledge the validity or existence of something formally.
I recognized my old teacher at the supermarket today.
The government finally recognized the small island nation as an independent state after years of diplomatic pressure.
Although the software failed to identify the specific user, it recognized the unique patterns of the encrypted file and allowed the transfer to proceed.
The verb is transitive and requires a direct object. In British English, it is frequently spelled 'recognised'.
I recognized to himI recognized himRecognize is a transitive verb and takes a direct object without a preposition.