recognize
To match (something or someone which one currently perceives) to a memory of some previous encounter with the same person or thing.
Example
“I recognized his face immediately, although his voice was different.”
Other meanings
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.”
To acknowledge or consider (as being a certain thing or having a certain quality or property).
“Slavery is widely recognized as immoral.”
Example sentences
Word history
From Latin "recognoscere".
Where this comes from
This definition is adapted from “recognize” on Wiktionary, by its contributors; example sentences are from Tatoeba, credited to their authors above, published under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page is published under the same licence.