Recognize (Verb)
Meaning 1
Accept (someone) to be what is claimed or accept his power and authority; "The Crown Prince was acknowledged as the true heir to the throne"; "We do not recognize your gods".
Classification
Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting.
Examples
- The people recognized the new government as the legitimate authority of the land.
- We do not recognize the jurisdiction of this court over our sovereign territory.
- The university refused to recognize the diploma from the online institution.
- The international community recognized the newly independent nation and established diplomatic relations.
- The citizens recognized the queen as their rightful ruler and pledged their loyalty.
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Meaning 2
Grant credentials to; "The Regents officially recognized the new educational institution"; "recognize an academic degree".
Classification
Verbs of political and social activities and events.
Examples
- The professional association officially recognized the new certification in data science.
- The state licensing board recognized the out-of-state architect's credentials.
- The institution recognized her foreign medical degree as valid in the United States.
- She was recognized as a certified public accountant by the national board.
- The government agency recognized the new training program for skilled trade workers.
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Meaning 3
Be fully aware or cognizant of.
Classification
Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting.
Examples
- She could finally recognize the difference between the various species of birds in her backyard.
- The teacher asked the students to recognize the patterns in the story and relate them to their own experiences.
- He began to recognize the warning signs of a potential heart attack after attending a health seminar.
- The audience failed to recognize the nuances in the play, leading to a mixed reaction.
- She couldn't recognize herself in the old photos, having changed so much over the years.
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Meaning 4
Show approval or appreciation of; "My work is not recognized by anybody!"; "The best student was recognized by the Dean".
Classification
Verbs of political and social activities and events.
Examples
- Her charity work was recognized by the entire community with a special award ceremony.
- The researcher's groundbreaking study was not recognized by his peers until years later.
- The employee's years of dedication were finally recognized by the company through a promotion.
- Her tireless efforts as a volunteer were recognized by the city council with a special honor.
- His innovative designs were recognized by the industry through multiple prestigious awards.
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Meaning 5
Perceive to be the same.
Classification
Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting.
Examples
- I don't recognize the person standing at the door as the one I met at the party last night.
- She could barely recognize herself in the old photographs from her childhood.
- The elderly man failed to recognize his own reflection in the mirror after a lifetime of struggles.
- After not seeing him for 10 years, it took me a moment to recognize my old high school friend.
- As she walked down the street, she tried to recognize the location from her favorite TV show.
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Meaning 6
Express obligation, thanks, or gratitude for; "We must acknowledge the kindness she showed towards us".
Classification
Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing.
Examples
- We must recognize her dedication to the project, without which it wouldn't have been completed on time.
- The organization would like to recognize the generous donation made by the benefactor.
- We recognize the effort you put into making this event a huge success and appreciate your hard work.
- Her parents should recognize the sacrifices she made to support her family during those difficult times.
- The community would like to recognize the outstanding service provided by the local firefighters.
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Meaning 7
Express greetings upon meeting someone.
Classification
Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing.
Examples
- It's great to see you again, I recognize that smile from our last meeting.
- When she saw her old friend across the room, she rushed over to recognize him with a warm hug.
- He couldn't immediately recognize the person who had changed so much since his school days.
- She waved excitedly to recognize her long-lost acquaintance from across the street.
- They didn't immediately recognize each other but after some chatting and reminiscing about old times, they made a connection.
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Meaning 8
Detect with the senses; "The fleeing convicts were picked out of the darkness by the watchful prison guards"; "I can't make out the faces in this photograph".
Classification
Verbs of seeing, hearing, feeling.
Examples
- I can recognize the outline of the house in the distance despite the heavy fog.
- At night, you can recognize the constellation Orion by locating its three bright belt stars.
- The air was thick with smoke, but I could recognize the smell of burnt wood coming from the kitchen.
- Through the blurred lens of the camera, the witnesses struggled to recognize the faces of the bank robbers.
- After years apart, I could still recognize the sound of my childhood friend's laughter when I heard it on the video recording.
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Meaning 9
Exhibit recognition for (an antigen or a substrate).
Classification
Verbs of being, having, spatial relations.
Examples
- Antibodies recognize specific antigens and bind to them through a lock-and-key mechanism.
- Enzymes are designed to recognize particular substrates and facilitate a chemical reaction involving those substrates.
- The T-cell receptor is able to recognize and bind to specific antigens, which then triggers an immune response.
- An enzyme can recognize various substrates, but its activity is highly specific to one particular substrate.
- DNA-binding proteins can recognize specific nucleotide sequences in DNA and bind to them, thereby regulating gene expression.