identify
Frequently Asked Questions
- recognize—to be able to tell what something is (and often to know its name), as in He immediately identified/recognized it as a monarch butterfly.
- diagnose or pinpoint, as in My mechanic was finally able to identify/diagnose/pinpoint the problem.
- associate, such as with a certain group or belief, as in She’s known for identifying/associating with the party’s reform wing.
- distinguish, as in Her height identified/distinguished her as the volleyball player.
- establish (who someone is), as in He has been identified/established as the main suspect. Relatedly, to identify someone is to figure out who they are—to establish their identity.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
In this environment, strong foundational knowledge of a topic or domain becomes even more important, as it helps students identify the right questions to ask and explain why those questions matter.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 1, 2026
As part of Sunday's event, attendees will be invited to complete surveys that organisers hope will help identify which activities and approaches are most effective at engaging men.
From BBC ● Nov. 1, 2026
"Enquiries are ongoing to identify people seen wearing t-shirts and holding banners showing support for a proscribed organisation," Police Scotland said in a statement shared with AFP on Sunday.
From Barron's ● Nov. 1, 2026
The findings were submitted in litigation brought by the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, which is challenging the administration’s efforts to use federal immigration data to identify suspected noncitizen voters.
From Salon ● Oct. 31, 2026
There’s a crumbling, there’s a panic, there’s something else I can’t identify.
From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse
“What identifies an individual as a king is how other people behave towards him,” says a quote attributed to the actor.
From Salon ● Oct. 30, 2026
Davidson, said Nvidia identifies parts of the AI ecosystem that are not investing enough and puts money into them to fill the gaps.
From Barron's ● Oct. 30, 2026
McHenry says she and her friend, whom she identifies as Andrew, left their seats and went to a foyer, where an usher offered to move them to seats in another part of the arena.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 29, 2026
New research reveals why aging muscles shift toward a different type of muscle fiber and identifies a crucial molecule that could offer a new approach to treating muscle loss.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 28, 2026
She shakes her head, her fingertip fixed on the spot which, in her view, at any rate, identifies the Mary Janes.
From "The Bluest Eye" by Toni Morrison
Most race cars are identified by their chassis numbers, a serial number welded to a car’s metal frame.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 1, 2026
Even more promising, they have identified an experimental drug that has already undergone safety testing in humans and could potentially interfere with this process.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 1, 2026
The agency said the substance involved had been identified as home heating oil, or kerosene, and that the source had been traced to a nearby tank.
From BBC ● Nov. 1, 2026
It told AFP that as more information became available, "Copilot reflected the updated context and identified the claim as fabricated."
From Barron's ● Nov. 1, 2026
Four answers were displayed on the dome, each identified with a geometric shape.
From "Mr. Lemoncello's Library Olympics" by Chris Grabenstein
Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said the state’s system for identifying and responding to potential misconduct functioned as intended.
From Salon ● Oct. 31, 2026
The process requires sworn statements and identifying information from prospective voters.
From Salon ● Oct. 31, 2026
That can include voter registration forms, sign-in sheets, poll books, copies of identifying documents that are submitted and ballots themselves, he said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2026
If future studies confirm the findings, measuring beta-band activity could potentially become a useful tool for identifying people who need earlier support.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 29, 2026
Still other grammatical functions can be put to work in identifying other roles.
From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker
Vocabulary lists containing identify
Tier 2 Words for the SBAC ELA Items
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PARCC: Language of the Test (Grade7)
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Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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