recognize

A2 Topic:Mind & Cognition

Also spelled recognise, recognised, recognises, and recognising

US /ˈɹɛk.əɡ.naɪz/ See IPA manual

Freq #1588

Meanings

1

verb
To know someone or something because you have seen or met them before.

I recognized his face immediately, although his voice was different.
2

verb
To accept or admit that something is true, important, or valid.

Slavery is widely recognized as immoral.
3

verb
To officially accept the existence or legal status of something.

Several countries quickly recognized the new government.
4

verb
To show official appreciation for someone, as with an award.

His services were recognized with a special award.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to know someone or... place

2 verb · to accept or admit that... acknowledge

Word family

Forms recognizedrecognizesrecognizing

Derived forms allorecognizederecognizeimmunorecognizemisrecognizerecogninrecognizabilityrecognizable recognizably recognizance recognizantrecognizationrecognizee

Related forms acknowledge recognition reconnaissance

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French reconoistre, from Old French reconoistre, from Latin recognoscere, first attested in the 16th century. Displaced native English acknow (“to recognize, perceive as”), compare German erkennen and Swedish erkänna. Latin had rare recognizare (“to try by jury”).

*ǵneh₃- Proto-Indo-European reconoistre Middle French recognoscere Latin

View etymology graph ->

External links

# recognize

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A2
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /ˈɹɛk.əɡ.naɪz/
**Frequency rank:** 1588

## Meanings
1. To know someone or something because you have seen or met them before.
2. To accept or admit that something is true, important, or valid.
3. To officially accept the existence or legal status of something.
4. To show official appreciation for someone, as with an award.

## Examples
- I recognized his face immediately, although his voice was different.
- Slavery is widely recognized as immoral.
- Several countries quickly recognized the new government.
- His services were recognized with a special award.

## Derived Forms
- allorecognize
- derecognize
- immunorecognize
- misrecognize
- recognin
- recognizability
- recognizable
- recognizably
- recognizance
- recognizant
- recognization
- recognizee

## Related Forms
- acknowledge
- recognition
- reconnaissance

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *ǵneh₃-
- Root: reconoistre
- Root: recognoscere

## Etymology
Borrowed from Middle French reconoistre, from Old French reconoistre, from Latin recognoscere, first attested in the 16th century. Displaced native English acknow (“to recognize, perceive as”), compare German erkennen and Swedish erkänna. Latin had rare recognizare (“to try by jury”).

## AI Etymology
Recognize is borrowed from Middle French reconoistre, from Old French reconoistre, from Latin recognoscere, first attested in the 16th century. Displaced native English acknow (“to recognize, perceive as”), compare German erkennen and Swedish erkänna. Latin had rare recognizare (“to try by jury”). Modern senses include to know someone or something because you have seen or met them before. and to accept or admit that something is true, important, or valid.. The wider word family includes derivatives such as allorecognize, derecognize, immunorecognize, misrecognize, recognin, and recognizability and related forms such as acknowledge, recognition, and reconnaissance.

## Topics
- Mind & Cognition

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recognize

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