recognize

recognize

rec·og·nize (BrE also -ise) [recognize recognizes recognized recognizing]   [ˈrekəɡnaɪz]    [ˈrekəɡnaɪz]  verb

(not used in the progressive tenses)

1. to know who sb is or what sth is when you see or hear them, because you have seen or heard them or it before
• ~ sb/sth I recognized him as soon as he came in the room.
• Do you recognize this tune?

• ~ sb/sth by/from sth I recognized her by her red hair.

2. to admit or to be aware that sth exists or is true
Syn:  acknowledge
• ~ sth They recognized the need to take the problem seriously.
• ~ sth as sth Drugs were not recognized as a problem then.
• ~ how, what, etc… Nobody recognized how urgent the situation was.
• ~ that… We recognized that the task was not straightforward.
• it is recognized that… It was recognized that this solution could only be temporary.

• ~ sb/sth to be/have sth Drugs were not recognized to be a problem then.

3. to accept and approve of sb/sth officially
• ~ sb/sth (as sth) recognized qualifications
• The UK has refused to recognize the new regime.

• be recognized to be/have sth He is recognized to be their natural leader.

4. be recognized (as sth) to be thought of as very good or important by people in general
• The book is now recognized as a classic.

• She's a recognized authority on the subject.

5. ~ sb/sth to give sb official thanks for sth that they have done or achieved
• His services to the state were recognized with the award of a knighthood.
See also: -ise
Verb forms:
 
Word Origin:
late Middle English (earliest attested as a term in Scots law): from Old French reconniss-, stem of reconnaistre, from Latin recognoscere ‘know again, recall to mind’, from re- ‘again’ + cognoscere ‘learn’.  
Thesaurus:
recognize (BrE also -ise) verb
1. T (not used in the progressive tenses)
• I recognized him by the way he walked.
know • • identify • • place • • pick sb/sth out • • make sb/sth out • |formal discern •
recognize/know/identify sb/sth by sth
recognize/identify sb/sth as sb/sth
recognize/know/identify/make out/discern who/what/how…
Recognize or know? Know is used especially to talk about sounds, or when sb recognizes the quality or opportunity that sb/sth represents, as in the phrase sb knows a…when they see one:
• I know that voice/laugh/tune!
• He knows a lady when he sees one.
Recognize can also be used in this way but sounds slightly more formal. Know is not usually used to talk about people:
• I recognized him as soon as he came in.
 ¤ I knew him as soon as he came in.
2. T (not used in the progressive tenses)
• The directors recognize that there is a serious problem.
admit • • acknowledge • • grant • • concede • • confess •
recognize/admit/acknowledge/grant/concede/confess that…
It is/was (generally) recognized/admitted/acknowledged/granted/conceded that…
you must recognize/admit/acknowledge/grant/concede/confess sth
3. T (not used in the progressive tenses)
• These qualifications are internationally recognized.
approve • • confirm • • ratify • • certify • |formal validate •
recognize/approve/confirm/ratify/certify/validate sth as sth
recognize/approve/validate a course
officially recognize/approve/confirm/ratify sth 
Example Bank:
• All rivers should be officially recognized as public rights of way.
• Criminal law implicitly recognizes a difference between animals and property.
• Do any US states currently recognize gay marriage?
• He readily recognizes the influence of Freud on his thinking.
• He recognized the man as one of the police officers.
• I immediately recognized the building.
• I recognized them from a television show.
• I vaguely recognized his voice, but couldn't think of his name.
• It's important to recognize that obesity isn't necessarily caused by overeating.
• She recognized the song correctly.
• Stella hardly recognized her brother.
• The 1970s are rightly recognized as a golden era of Hollywood film-making.
• The Medway estuary is recognized internationally as a conservation area.
• The company had been slow to recognize the opportunities available to it.
• The company should publicly recognize its mistake.
• The court explicitly recognized the group's right to exist.
• The estuary is recognized internationally as an important area for wildlife.
• The government has belatedly recognized the danger to health of passive smoking.
• The law clearly recognizes that a company is separate from those who invest in it.
• The strength of this argument is being increasingly recognized.
• They fully recognize the need to proceed carefully.
• This is the only species of flamingo in the region, easily recognized by its pink plumage.
• This issue must be recognized as a priority for the next administration.
• You learn to recognize the calls of different birds.
• I recognized him by the way he walked.
• The qualifications are internationally recognized.

• We barely recognized her— she had changed so much in ten years.