identify

The word “identify” means to work out or state exactly who or what someone or something is. In plain terms, to recognize and name something precisely, or to feel a close personal connection to it.

“Identify” is pronounced eye-DEHN-tih-feye (/aɪˈdɛn.(t)ə.faɪ/ in IPA).

Here is “identify” used in a sentence: “Witnesses helped police identify the getaway car.”

Words with a similar meaning to “identify” include ID, clock, ken, to make someone, notice and recognize.

The opposite of “identify” — its antonyms — is misken.

“Identify” is a verb.

The word “identify” comes from Latin. From French identifier, built on Latin idem ("the same") and facere ("to make").

“Identify” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B2 level.

To recognize something is to realize you have seen or known it before — a familiarity response. To identify it goes a step further: you work out and state exactly what it is, often naming it precisely. You might recognize a face without being able to identify whose it is.

"Police asked the witness to identify the man she had seen." Here it means to work out and confirm exactly who he was. Other everyday examples include identifying a bird from its song, identifying a fault in an engine, or identifying the key themes in a book — each pins down a precise answer.

The plain verb means to determine what something is: "identify the substance." Adding "with" changes the meaning to feeling connection or sympathy: "I identify with her struggle." So "identify" pins down facts, while "identify with" expresses that you relate to or share someone's experience or point of view.