igenkänt

Igenkänt is a Swedish adjective meaning recognized or familiar, typically used to describe someone or something that one has seen before and therefore can identify. It is commonly applied to faces, places, or names that are known from prior experience.

Etymology and usage: the word is formed from igen (again) and känt, the past participle of känna (to know). It is closely related to the verb känna igen (to recognize) and to the noun igenkänning (recognition). In everyday language igenkänt is most often used attributively before a noun, as in ett igenkänt ansikte (a familiar face). The construction emphasizes that recognition comes from previous acquaintance or exposure.

Nuances and comparisons: igenkänt resembles bekant, which also means known or familiar but with a slightly broader or more general sense. Igenkänt stresses the act of recognizing someone or something upon seeing it again, whereas bekant can imply merely that something is known or well acquainted without the moment of recognition being foregrounded. The term is common in narrative descriptions, media reporting, and everyday conversation when the speaker wants to highlight recognition from prior encounters.

See also: känna igen, igenkänning, bekant, välbekant.