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.
“Our goal is to identify a national champion,” she said.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 3, 2026
According to Rappolt, AI can "democratize" football by helping identify talent that lies outside the radar of major development centers.
From Barron's • Jun. 2, 2026
Although previous research has linked high-fat diets to a greater risk of PDAC, scientists have struggled to identify exactly how dietary fat influences the disease.
From Science Daily • Jun. 2, 2026
His team could then go to each department, talk through their processes and technology, identify bottlenecks, and work out where AI could actually help.
From BBC • Jun. 1, 2026
Maggie can only identify half of their meals—tamales and burgers are easy, but there are also bowls filled with rice and what might be stew with cornbread.
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
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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