Recognoscere

Recognoscere is a Latin verb of the third conjugation meaning to recognize, identify, or recall. It can also convey the senses to acknowledge, admit, or verify. In classical usage it covers recognizing a person or thing by sight or knowledge, recalling a memory, or admitting a truth, fact, or decision. In legal, administrative, and religious Latin, recognoscere is often used in the sense of examining, re-examining, or confirming the status or authenticity of something.

Etymology and forms: The verb is formed with the prefix re- plus cognoscere (to know), yielding recognoscere as the infinitive and recognoscō as the first-person present indicative. It belongs to the third conjugation; principal parts are recognōscō, recognōscere, recognōvī, recognōtum. The passive and perfect system follow standard third-conjugation patterns, and the noun recognitio denotes recognition, examination, or a formal acknowledgment. The related participle recognitus means “having been recognized.” The verb has cognate forms in the Romance languages, such as French reconnaître, Spanish reconocer, Italian riconoscere, and Portuguese reconhecer.

Usage and context: In classical Latin, recognoscere appears in contexts of re-identifying someone or something, recalling past events, or confirming a verdict, decision, or title. In law and diplomacy, it is used for procedures that re-evaluate evidence or verify claims. Its broad semantic range—recognition, recollection, and formal acknowledgment—made recognoscere a common tool in rhetoric, philosophy, and administrative Latin. The English verb recognize derives from recognoscere via medieval and modern intermediaries, reflecting the same core sense of “know again” or “reconfirm.”