recognize

Etymology 1

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.

verb

1. (transitive) To match (something or someone which one currently perceives) to a memory of some previous encounter with the same person or thing.
   I recognised his face immediately, although his voice was different.
2. (transitive) To acknowledge the existence or legality of; to treat as valid or worthy of consideration.
   The US and a number of EU countries are expected to recognize Kosovo on Monday.
3. (transitive, or with clause) To acknowledge or consider (as being a certain thing or having a certain quality or property).
   Slavery is widely recognized as immoral.
   I recognize that my behaviour has been unacceptable.
4. (transitive) To realize or discover the nature of something; apprehend quality in.
   In plants, the ability to recognize self from nonself plays an important role in fertilization, because self-fertilization will result in less diverse offspring than fertilization with pollen from another individual. 2013 May-June, Katrina G. Claw, “Rapid Evolution in Eggs and Sperm”, in American Scientist, volume 101, number 3
5. (transitive) To show formal appreciation of, as with an award, commendation etc.
   His services were recognized in a testimonial.
   The soldier was recognized in dispatches.
6. (obsolete) To review; to examine again.
   We do moste humbly submytte it [this treatise] to[…]your maiestie, to be recognised, ouersene, and corrected. 1534, Thomas Cranmer, The Institution of a Christian Man
7. (obsolete) To reconnoiter.
   before the siege was layd to the Towne, of minde to recognize, he fell unawares amongst an Ambushcade 1637, Robert Monro, Monro, His Expedition With the Worthy Scots Regiment Called Mac-Keys
8. (immunology) To have the property to bind to specific antigens.

Etymology 2

From re- + cognize.

verb

1. to cognize again