identify

verb iden·ti·fy \ ī-ˈden-tə-ˌfī , ə- \

|Updated on: 4 Aug 2018

Examples: identify in a Sentence

Definition of identify

identified; identifying

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

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identifiable

play \ī-ˌden-tə-ˈfī-ə-bəl, ə-\ adjective

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identifiably

play \ī-ˌden-tə-ˈfī-ə-blē, ə-\ adverb

See identify defined for English-language learners

See identify defined for kids

Examples of identify in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples of identify from the Web

The little girl, who police identified as Makayla S. Bowling, was taken by air ambulance to the Norton Children's Hospital in Louisville, Kentucky.

— domenica bongiovanni, Indianapolis Star, "6-year-old girl in southern Indiana dies after an accidental gunshot wound," 14 July 2018
Spelman, near downtown Atlanta, announced plans last year to admit students who identify as women, regardless of the gender listed on the student’s birth certificate.

— eric stirgus, ajc, "Historically black colleges commit to more support for LGBTQ students," 13 July 2018
While Grande lip-syncs, Madonna recites what Billboard identified as the bible quote Samuel L. Jackson's famously says in Pulp Fiction.

— emily wang, Glamour, "Ariana Grande's 'God Is a Woman' Music Video Features a Voice-Over From Madonna," 13 July 2018
The man who died was identified as Martiniano Sandoval Jr., 26, of Phoenix, Smith said.

— nathan j. fish, azcentral, "Police: Suspect in Glendale shootings arrested after fleeing to Texas," 13 July 2018
The victim then identified Mote as the robber, Litwin said.

— jesse leavenworth, courant.com, "East Hartford Police Say Knife-Wielding Robber Caught In Hartford," 12 July 2018
Emiliano Gutierrez, a 20-year-old man from Richmond, was identified as the suspect but fled on foot from the scene, the news release said.

— claire morgan, sacbee, "Man arrested after attempted rape in Yolo County," 12 July 2018
The federal case doesn’t raise allegations of racial profiling but records show the false charges were filed against a black Haitian-American teen identified only as T.D. in the indictment.

— charles rabin, jay weaver and david ovalle, miamiherald, "The chief wanted perfect stats, so cops were told to pin crimes on blacks, probe found," 12 July 2018
The last mission included in the phase 2 list was identified as a priority years ago.

— dennis normile, Science | AAAS, "New China space missions will watch for colliding black holes, solar blasts," 11 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'identify.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of identify

1626

in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

identify Synonyms

Phrases

put one's finger on;

IDENTIFY Defined for English Language Learners

identify

verb

Definition of identify for English Language Learners

: 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

IDENTIFY Defined for Kids

identify

verb iden·ti·fy \ ī-ˈden-tə-ˌfī \

Definition of identify for Students

identified; identifying

1 : to find out or show the identity of

… they ate … a mystery casserole that I could not identify.
—Sharon Creech, Walk Two Moons

2 : to feel empathy for

I identified with her problem.

3 : to think of as joined or associated with

These groups are identified with conservation.

Medical Dictionary

identify

verb iden·ti·fy \ ī-ˈdent-ə-ˌfī, ə- \

medical Definition of identify

identified; identifying

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

Law Dictionary

identify

transitive verb iden·ti·fy

legal Definition of identify

identified; identifying

1 : to consider as united or associated (as in interests or principles)

can ask leading questions of a witness who is identified with an adverse party

2 : to establish the identity of

identifying the suspect

3 : to specify or designate (goods) as the object of a contract —used in the phrase identify to the contract

the disputed beans were goods identified to the contract

Note: Under the Uniform Commercial Code, once goods are identified to a contract, the buyer has a special property interest and an insurable interest in the goods. This gives the buyer the right to seek damages and other relief. This identification can be done at any time and in any manner agreed to by the parties or as otherwise specified in the U.C.C.

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