English Meaning & Definitions
To identify someone or something from having encountered them before; to know again.
- “I didn't recognize her at first because she had changed her hairstyle.”
- “It took a moment for the software to recognize the file format.”
To acknowledge the existence, validity, or legality of something.
- “The international community refused to recognize the new government.”
- “The committee was quick to recognize his contributions to the field of science.”
English Synonyms & Near Equivalents
Comprehensive Thesaurus Breakdown
Compare formal, informal, literary synonyms and register nuances for “to recognize”.
Derived from the Latin 'recognoscere', composed of 're-' (again) and 'cognoscere' (to learn, know, or become acquainted with). It entered Middle English via the Old French 'recognoistre', originally carrying legal connotations of acknowledging a debt or a fact before a court.
Re-cognize: To 're-know' something you have seen before.
Frequently Asked Questions About “to recognize”
1. What is the meaning of “to recognize” in English?
In English, to recognize (verb) is defined as: “To identify someone or something from having encountered them before; to know again.”.
2. How do you use “to recognize” in a sentence?
“I didn't recognize her at first because she had changed her hairstyle.”
3. What are English synonyms of “to recognize”?
4. What is the etymology and word origin of “to recognize”?
Derived from the Latin 'recognoscere', composed of 're-' (again) and 'cognoscere' (to learn, know, or become acquainted with). It entered Middle English via the Old French 'recognoistre', originally carrying legal connotations of acknowledging a debt or a fact before a court.
🇬🇧More English Words to English
View all English words →A measurement of time indicating an instantaneous occurrence or a state where no time has elapsed.
The base unit of time in the International System of Units (SI), equal to the duration of 9,192,631,770 periods of the radiation corresponding to the transition between the two hyperfine levels of the ground state of the caesium-133 atom.
A specific duration of time equal to one hour and forty-six minutes and twelve seconds.
The cardinal number equal to one thousand million (1,000,000,000), expressed in scientific notation as 10^9.