# recognize

Pronunciation: say "REK-uhg-nyz" /ˈɹɛk.əɡ.naɪz/

## Verb

1. To identify someone or something as familiar from a previous encounter.
   - Simple: To know someone or something because you have seen, heard, or met them before.
   - _Most people recognize familiar voices within seconds of hearing them._
   - _The witness recognized the suspect the moment he entered the room._
2. To acknowledge or consider someone or something as being a certain thing, or as having a certain quality.
   - Simple: To accept that someone or something is a certain way or has a certain quality.
   - _Many doctors now recognize poor sleep as a serious health risk._
   - _Everyone recognized him as the most experienced member of the team._
3. To acknowledge the existence or legality of something, or to treat it as valid and worthy of consideration.
   - Simple: To officially accept that something is real, legal, or worth taking seriously.
   - _The United Nations may recognize the breakaway region as an independent nation._
   - _Several states recognized the union's right to bargain collectively._
4. To come to realize or discover the true nature of something, or to perceive a quality in it.
   - Simple: To understand the real nature of something, or to see a quality in it.
   - _Good managers recognize talent in people that others overlook._
   - _He recognized the seriousness of the illness only after the test results came back._
5. To show formal appreciation of someone or something, as with an award or commendation.
   - Simple: To honor someone or something with an award or public thanks.
   - _Each year the academy moves to recognize outstanding new filmmakers._
   - _The foundation recognized three scientists for their breakthroughs in cancer research._

## Verb

6. To review something, or to examine it once more. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: To look at or check something a second time.
7. To reconnoiter; to scout an area or position in order to gather information. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: To go and look at an area to learn about it, as soldiers do.

## Other meanings

- (verb) Of an antibody or receptor, to bind specifically to a particular antigen.
- (verb) To cognize anew; to bring something back into conscious awareness or knowledge.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/recognize (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).