identify

iden·ti·fy

verb \ī-ˈden-tə-ˌfī, ə-\

: to know and say who someone is or what something is

: to find out who someone is or what something is

: to show who someone is or what something is

iden·ti·fiediden·ti·fy·ing

Full Definition of IDENTIFY

transitive verb

1

a :  to cause to be or become identical

b :  to conceive as united (as in spirit, outlook, or principle) <groups that are identified with conservation>

2

a :  to establish the identity of

b :  to determine the taxonomic position of (a biological specimen)

intransitive verb

1

:  to be or become the same

2

:  to practice psychological identification <identify with the hero of a novel>

— iden·ti·fi·able \-ËŒden-tÉ™-ˈfÄ«-É™-bÉ™l\ adjective

— iden·ti·fi·ably \-blÄ“\ adverb

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Examples of IDENTIFY

1. She identified the dog as her lost pet.
2. He was able to correctly identify the mushroom.
3. The witness positively identified the suspect in the crime.
4. The corpse was identified on the basis of dental records.
5. They could not identify the source of the quotation.
6. They had no difficulty in identifying the problem.
7. We began by identifying what we needed for the job.
8. We need to identify the causes of unemployment.

First Known Use of IDENTIFY

1644

Related to IDENTIFY

Synonyms

distinguish, finger, ID, pinpoint, single (out), put one's finger on

Related Words

diagnose; determine, find; locate, pick out, place, recognize, spot; check, examine, inspect, investigate, notice, observe, scrutinize; betray, disclose, discover, reveal

Near Antonyms

camouflage, conceal, disguise, hide; counterfeit, feign, sham, simulate

iden·ti·fy

verb \Ä«-ˈdent-É™-ËŒfÄ«, É™-\   (Medical Dictionary)

iden·ti·fiediden·ti·fy·ing

Medical Definition of IDENTIFY

transitive verb

: to determine the taxonomic position of (a biological specimen)

intransitive verb

: to undergo or experience psychological identification <identify with the hero of a novel>