recognize
re·cog·nize
verb
detect with the senses
- “The fleeing convicts were picked out of the darkness by the watchful prison guards”
- “I can”
grant credentials to
- “The Regents officially recognized the new educational institution”
- “recognize an academic degree”
express obligation, thanks, or gratitude for
- “We must acknowledge the kindness she showed towards us”
exhibit recognition for (an antigen or a substrate)
show approval or appreciation of
- “My work is not recognized by anybody!”
- “The best student was recognized by the Dean”
Origin
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”).
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Narrower terms
WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.