What does “recognize” mean?
- 1
verbto know someone or something because you have seen or heard them before
I didn’t recognize you with short hair!
- 2
verbto accept that something is true or important
We recognize that there is a problem.
- 3
verbto officially praise or accept someone or something
She was recognized for twenty years of service.
Recognize at a glance
- Part of speech
- verb
- CEFR level
- B1 (intermediate)
- Pronunciation
- /ˈrɛkəɡˌnaɪz/ · REK-ug-nyz
How to use “recognize” correctly
Say “I recognized him”, not “I recognized him to be”. British spelling: “recognise”.
Common phrases with “recognize”
- recognize sb’s voice
- widely recognized
- recognize the need
Synonyms, opposites and related words
Word family
- recognition
- recognizable
- unrecognizable
“recognize” is on these word lists
Learn these words next
- consider verbB1to think carefully about something before deciding
- exist verbB1to be real or present in the world
- focus verbB1to give all your attention to one thing
- identify verbB1to recognize and name who or what someone or something is
- prove verbB1to show that something is true using facts or evidence
- realize verbB1to understand or become aware of something
- relate verbB1to be connected with something, or to show a connection
- tend verbB1to usually do or be something