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:
Well, I don’t have a male analog so the press has to identify me with the movement.
From Slate ● Sep. 3, 2026
These specialized proteins help the immune system identify and fight infections.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 3, 2026
American Airlines told TMZ that a passenger was met by law enforcement upon arrival at Los Angeles International Airport on May 14, although the airline did not identify the individual.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 2, 2026
The verdict means that almost nine years since the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia, the Maltese authorities have failed to identify and convict the mastermind.
From Barron's ● Sep. 2, 2026
“You can also identify folks that are Remarkable too. We got a Glow ’bout us, don’t we?”
From "The Manifestor Prophecy" by Angie Thomas
India's Central Water Commission identifies the Kosi, Gandak, Bagmati and Ghaghara as some of the main transboundary rivers.
From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2026
"The significance of this work is that it identifies a mechanism by which a microbiota-derived metabolite can create durable epithelial T-cell crosstalk," Yu said.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 21, 2026
Like most of us, he identifies as “very much not a mathematician.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026
Another trope Hartnett identifies in asset allocation is “Anything But China.”
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 14, 2026
A senior at a small private high school, the teenager identifies as agender—neither male nor female.
From "The 57 Bus" by Dashka Slater
The Los Angeles County medical examiner’s field investigator identified the body as that of a female but could not immediately determine an age.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2026
I suppose I could be referred to as a journalist, but because it is part of a movement and not just a typical magazine, I’m more likely to be identified with the movement.
From Slate ● Sep. 3, 2026
Castro couldn’t be reached for comment and a lawyer for him couldn’t be identified.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026
The report also identified shortcomings aboard the cargo ship.
From Barron's ● Sep. 3, 2026
Multiple genetic mutations are identified in human cancers, leading to a deeper genetic understanding of that disease.
From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee
Lopez signed her daughter up for state-funded day care, identifying herself as a noncitizen.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2026
Nepal police began collecting DNA samples from relatives this week to build a database for identifying bodies, while families overseas will be able to submit samples in their home countries.
From Barron's ● Sep. 3, 2026
Suno’s platform uses a “distillation of the identifying attributes of the human beings who made the songs and recordings: the qualities that make a listener say ‘that is Jason Isbell.’”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026
Using either BMI or waist circumference provided a better balance between correctly identifying people with obesity and avoiding false-positive diagnoses.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 31, 2026
“Counterspies have to have ways of identifying themselves to other counterspies. Like secret code words. Or wearing a special kind of flower. Or—tying their shoes a certain way.”
From "Jacob Have I Loved" by Katherine Paterson
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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