recognize

Recognize, or recognise in British English, is a verb with several closely related meanings. Most often it means to identify someone or something as familiar or known. It can also mean to acknowledge the existence, validity, or legality of something—such as recognizing a country’s sovereignty or recognizing an argument as valid. A further sense is to recall someone or something from memory, as when you recognize a face after many years.

Etymology and spelling: The word comes from the Latin recognoscere, meaning to know again or to examine. It entered English in the Middle Ages. The American spelling recognize is standard in the United States, while recognition remains the same, and recognise is the preferred form in British English. The noun form is recognition; related forms include recognizable and recognisable.

Usage and scope: Recognize is normally transitive, requiring a direct object (to recognize a person, a mistake, a pattern). It can also mean to acknowledge an achievement or to grant official status (a government or institution may be recognized). In cognitive contexts, recognition refers to a memory process in which relevant information is identified as familiar without recalling specific details.

Applications: In psychology and neuroscience, recognition is a key component of memory, distinct from recall. In computer science, recognition refers to pattern recognition, speech recognition, and related tasks in artificial intelligence. In law and international relations, recognition denotes formal acknowledgment of sovereignty, legitimacy, or a treaty’s effect.