recognize

verb

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rec·og·nize | \ ˈre-kig-ˌnīz

, -kəg- \

recognized; recognizing

Definition of recognize

transitive verb

1 : to acknowledge formally: such as

a : to admit as being lord or sovereign

b : to admit as being of a particular status

c : to admit as being one entitled to be heard : give the floor to

d : to acknowledge the de facto existence or the independence of

2 : to acknowledge or take notice of in some definite way: such as

a : to acknowledge with a show of appreciation recognize an act of bravery with the award of a medal

b : to acknowledge acquaintance with recognize a neighbor with a nod

3a : to perceive to be something or someone previously known recognized the word

b : to perceive clearly : realize

Other Words from recognize Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about recognize

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Examples of recognize in a Sentence

I didn't recognize you at first with your new haircut. I can always recognize him from far away by the way he walks. They recognized the odor at once. The U.S. government has now recognized the newly formed country. They refused to recognize the treaty.

Recent Examples on the Web She’d been involved in many community causes during that time and was recognized as Disney Executive VoluntEAR of the Year in 2015. — Advertorial, Orange County Register, "Feature: Meet Rebecca Campbell, New President of Disneyland Resort," 2 Dec. 2019 From a Closet to National Leader TeamHealth’s roots in Tennessee stretch back 40 years, to when emergency medicine was recognized as a specialty. — ProPublica, "This Doctors Group Is Owned by a Private Equity Firm and Repeatedly Sued the Poor Until We Called Them," 28 Nov. 2019 Now widely recognized as the official kickoff to the holiday season, the first parade was actually meant to honor the expansion of Macy’s flagship store in New York City, according to Mental Floss. — Selena Barrientos, Good Housekeeping, "Macy's 2019 Thanksgiving Day Parade Has So Many Surprises in Store," 28 Nov. 2019 Trump already broke with his predecessors by deciding earlier to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, moving the U.S. Embassy to that city and closing the Palestinian diplomatic office in Washington. — Fox News, "More than 100 Dems send Pompeo letter strongly opposing Israeli settlement policy shift," 25 Nov. 2019 Employees want to work at companies recognized as leaders that operate by a strong set of values. — The Enquirer, Cincinnati.com, "Time to nominate Cincinnati's Top Workplaces for 2020," 24 Nov. 2019 Finally, being tapped for the Calculus Project, and recognized as someone with potential boosted their motivation, and that made a difference, too. — Leslie Postal, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Orange schools fall short of goal for more minority students to take calculus," 23 Nov. 2019 The 22-year-old has already conceptualized and collaborated with Instagram, Snapchat and Uber and been recognized as a scholar for his initiatives in STEM by former President Barack Obama. — Tanya A. Christian, Essence, "Tech Visionary Iddris Sandu Secures Land In Ghana For Youth Center + Nine Other Headlines We're Talking About," 22 Nov. 2019 But the new show, which includes 99 paintings of nature studies, portraits and landscapes by 18 artists, makes an argument that he and his contemporaries should be recognized on their own merits, as some of India’s greatest painters. — Amy Crawford, Smithsonian, "The Awe-Inspiring Wildlife Drawings of Shaikh Zain ud-Din," 22 Nov. 2019

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

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Last Updated

7 Dec 2019

Cite this Entry

“Recognize.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/recognize?pronunciation&lang=en_us&dir=r&file=recogn03. Accessed 12 December 2019.

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More Definitions for recognize

recognize

verb

English Language Learners Definition of recognize

: to know and remember (someone or something) because of previous knowledge or experience

: to accept or be aware that (something) is true or exists

: to accept and approve of (something) as having legal or official authority

See the full definition for recognize in the English Language Learners Dictionary

recognize

verb

rec·og·nize | \ ˈre-kig-ˌnīz

recognized; recognizing

Kids Definition of recognize

1 : to know and remember upon seeing I recognized an old friend.

2 : to be willing to accept I recognized my own faults.

3 : to take approving notice of They recognized his bravery with a medal.

recognize

transitive verb

rec·og·nize

recognized; recognizing

Legal Definition of recognize

1 : to acknowledge formally: as

a : to admit as being of a particular status recognize a precedent recognize a union specifically : to acknowledge (as a right, cause of action, or defense) as valid

b : to admit as being one entitled to be heard : give the floor to

c : to acknowledge the de facto existence or the independence of refused to recognize the new government

2 : to account for as real, received, or incurred and treat and record appropriately specifically : to account for (a gain, loss, expense, or income) on current accounting or tax records recognized the gain when she included it as income on her tax return — compare realize

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