identify with

1 :  to think of (something) as being the same as (something else) It is a mistake to identify being healthy with being thin.

2 :  to think of (someone) as being very closely associated with (something) She has always been identified with the civil rights movement. These groups are identified with conservation.

3 :  to think of oneself as having the same problems and feelings as someone Many readers identify with the characters in her novels.