identify

[ ahy-den-tuh-fahy, ih-den- ]

verb (used with object)

, i·den·ti·fied, i·den·ti·fy·ing.

1. to recognize or establish as being a particular person or thing; verify the identity none of:

   to identify handwriting; to identify the bearer of a check.

   Synonyms: determine, know, place, distinguish

2. to serve as a means of identification none for:

   His gruff voice quickly identified him.

3. to make, represent to be, or regard or treat as the same or identical:

   They identified Jones with the progress of the company.

4. to associate in name, feeling, interest, action, etc. (usually followed by with ):

   He preferred not to identify himself with that group.

5. Biology. to determine to what group (a given specimen) belongs.
6. Psychology. to associate (one or oneself ) with another person or a group of persons by identification none.

verb (used without object)

, i·den·ti·fied, i·den·ti·fy·ing.

1. to associate oneself in feeling, interest, action, etc., with a specified group or belief system (usually followed by as or with ):

   He identifies as bisexual. She identifies with feminism. My family identifies Hispanic.

2. to experience psychological identification:

   The audience identified with the play's characters.

identify

/ aɪˈdɛntɪˌfaɪ /

verb

1. to prove or recognize as being a certain person or thing; determine the identity of
2. to consider as the same or equivalent
3. also introften foll bywith to consider (oneself) as similar to another
4. to determine the taxonomic classification of (a plant or animal)
5. intrusually foll bywith psychol to engage in identification

Derived Forms

• iˈdentiˌfiable, adjective
• iˈdentiˌfiably, adverb

Other Words From

• i·denti·fia·ble adjective
• i·denti·fia·bili·ty i·denti·fia·ble·ness noun
• i·denti·fier noun
• over·i·denti·fy verb overidentified overidentifying
• prei·denti·fy verb (used with object) preidentified preidentifying
• rei·denti·fy verb (used with object) reidentified reidentifying
• uni·denti·fia·ble adjective
• uni·denti·fia·bly adverb
• uni·denti·fied adjective
• uni·denti·fying adjective
• well-i·denti·fied adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of identify¹

First recorded in 1635–45; from Medieval Latin identificāre, equivalent to identi(tās) identity none + -ficāre -fy none

Example Sentences

In February 2023, the charity identified five children living alone following parental imprisonment.

From BBC

“These were identified by the Pakistan Meteorological Department and they gave us a list of around 100 valleys. But because of limited resources, we are only able to intervene in 16.”

From BBC

That man, whose family has asked that he not be identified publicly, is also undergoing treatment at Craig Hospital.

From Los Angeles Times

Charging documents, which identify the event planner only by the initials R.C., say the plot against him grew to include his romantic partner.

From Los Angeles Times

Officials from the Uttar Pradesh state government told reporters on Saturday three bodies were still yet to be identified.

From BBC

Related Words

• analyze
• classify
• describe
• determine
• diagnose
• establish
• find
• name
• pinpoint
• select
• single out
• spot