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
"The University Management Board has agreed to identify approximately £10m of savings this year and, depending on the final position with public funding, further difficult choices may have to follow this academic year," Greer said.
From BBC ● Nov. 1, 2026
No suspects "have been arrested at this stage in connection with the incident", the prosecutor's office said, adding that investigators were working to identify those responsible.
From Barron's ● Nov. 1, 2026
Researchers often need years of additional work to identify a suitable compound and determine whether it can be used safely in people.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 1, 2026
“You’re also going to need an expert entomologist. Someone who can identify all the insects.”
From "The Smartest Kid in the Universe" by Chris Grabenstein
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To search for jet quenching, the researchers developed an analysis that identifies concentrated streams of high-energy particles and measures how many emerge above a selected energy threshold.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 31, 2026
Established in 2012, the scheme runs workshops in Welsh schools, where the company identifies children it believes have natural ability in dance but are not in any formal training.
From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2026
“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
In a far-sighted section of the book he correctly identifies fossils as the remains of once-living creatures and plants.
From "The Scientists" by John Gribbin
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I recall as a teenager being puzzled to learn that my grandfather identified as an American first and Chinese second.
From The Wall Street Journal ● 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
Eleanor had a cardiac arrest before the collapsed lung was identified and treated, causing an unsurvivable brain injury.
From BBC ● Oct. 31, 2026
Researchers with UCLA’s Voting Rights Project examined a list of 20,930 people identified by federal officials as potentially ineligible voters.
From Salon ● Oct. 31, 2026
Phillip seemed to have identified the problem exactly.
From "Half Upon a Time" by James Riley
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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
By identifying high-risk hotspots, governments and global health partners can strategically stockpile antivenom where it is needed most, train primary healthcare workers in high-burden rural zones and improve rapid transport infrastructure.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 30, 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
Sasha had been identifying as agender for almost a year by now, but they still dressed the same as they always had—like a boy.
From "The 57 Bus" by Dashka Slater
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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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