Word forms: 3rd person singular presenttense identifies, present participle identifying, past tense, past participle identified
1. verb
If you can identify someone or something, you are able to recognize them or distinguish them from others.
There are a number of distinguishing characteristics by which you can identify aHollywood epic. [VERB noun]
I tried to identify her perfume. [VERB noun]
A uniformed chauffeur identified me among the crowd. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: recognize, place, name, remember More Synonyms of identify
2. verb
If you identify someone or something, you name them or say who or what they are.
Police have already identified around 10 murder suspects. [VERB noun]
The reporters identified one of the six Americans as an Army Specialist. [VERB noun + as]
They identified six plants as having potential for development into pharmaceuticaldrugs. [V n as n/-ing]
Synonyms: establish, spot, confirm, finger [informal, mainly US] More Synonyms of identify
3. verb
If you identify something, you discover or notice its existence.
Scientists claim to have identified natural substances with cancer-combating properties. [VERB noun]
Having identified the problem, the question arises of how to overcome it. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: determine, establish, discover, fix More Synonyms of identify
4. verb
If a particular thing identifies someone or something, it makes them easy to recognize, by making them different in some way.
She wore a little nurse's hat on her head to identify her. [VERB noun]
His boots and purple beret identify him as commanding the Scottish Paratroops. [VERB noun + as]
5. verb
If you identify with someone or something, you feel that you understand them or their feelings and ideas.
She would only play a role if she could identify with the character. [VERB + with]
I could speak their language and identify with their problems because I had beenthere myself. [VERBwith noun]
6. verb
If you identify one person or thing with another, you think that they are closely associated or involved in some way.
She hates playing the types of women that audiences identify her with. [VERB noun + with]
The candidates all want to identify themselves with reform. [VERB pronoun-reflexive + with]
identify in British English
(aɪˈdɛntɪˌfaɪ)
verbWord forms: -fies, -fying or -fied(mainly tr)
1.
to prove or recognize as being a certain person or thing; determine the identity of
2.
to consider as the same or equivalent
3. (also intr; often foll bywith)
to consider (oneself) as similar to another
4. (intransitive; often foll byas)
to declare oneself to be a member of a particular group
to identify as a communist
5.
to determine the taxonomic classification of (a plant or animal)
6. (intransitive; usually foll bywith) psychology
to engage in identification
Derived forms
identifiable (iˈdentiˌfiable)
adjective
identifiably (iˈdentiˌfiably)
adverb
identify in American English
(aɪˈdɛntəˌfaɪ)
verb transitiveWord forms: iˈdentiˌfied or iˈdentiˌfying
1.
to make identical; consider or treat as the same
to identify one's interests with another's
2.
to recognize as being or show to be the very person or thing known, described, or claimed; fix the identity of
to identify a biological specimen
3.
to connect, associate, or involve closely
to identify a person with a school of thought
4. Psychoanalysis
to make an identification of (oneself) with someone else
often used absolutely
verb intransitive
5.
to put oneself in another's place, so as to understand and share the other's thoughts, feelings, problems, etc.; sympathize (with)
Derived forms
identifiable (iˌdentiˈfiable)
adjective
identifier (iˈdentiˌfier)
noun
Word origin
LL identificare: see identity & -fy
Examples of 'identify' in a sentence
identify
So why has only one world been identified so far?
Smithsonian Mag (2017)
How can we identify the best ones?
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
They took the security camera so we've got no way of identifying them.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
Using a key, the viewer can identify each one.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Identify a problem one week, solve it the next.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
A greetings card delivered in a very unusual way may identify your destiny partner.
The Sun (2016)
It's a way to identify on which foot you apply more pressure and could mean that you need corrective trainers.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The way football is now, targets have already been identified and agents will be on phones busy working on potential deals.
The Sun (2016)
She has already identified her next challenge for when she returns to Portsmouth, the city where she is now based.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
It's very crude but when it's as busy as it is you rely on your instinct to identify a sick person in a crowd.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
There are more than a dozen different varieties of cell already identified in skinstructure alone.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Police refused to identify the others or specify details of their charges.
The Sun (2015)
You should identify another letter as you go along.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
We are talking about identifying and weighing one grain of sand in a desert.
Richard Fortey THE EARTH: An Intimate History (2004)
We need to use accessible illustrations that the average person can identify with.
Christianity Today (2000)
One hedge fund source said his firm had already identified cheap opportunities and would be investing shortly.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Police quickly identified those involved and rounded them up.
The Sun (2012)
You have identified another looming problem for the beleaguered car industry.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
The badly burned bodies were recovered from the wreckage but only one was identified.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
How could they without a reliable way to identify them?
Colin Beavan FINGERPRINTS: Murder and the Race to Uncover the Science of Identity (2002)
But he has already identified them as essential factors in his promotion plans.
The Sun (2007)
Police identified the man from belongings they found on his bike.
The Sun (2014)
It aims to help teachers deal sensitively with pupils who identify as another gender or as neither.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Plan to watch one tonight and identify the "universal" bad feelings featured in it.
O'Keeffe, John Your One Week Way to Mind-Fitness (1994)
Failing to find new ways to identify and pass on knowledge and experience is unthinkable.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
Police have identified two of the three cars used as getaway vehicles.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Another way of identifying groups is whether the colours are light or dark.
Freeman, Michael Photographers Handbook (1993)
Efforts were under way to identify them and it was not clear how they had died.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Where the theme of loss emerges without a major focus, one should encourage the person to identify the losses.
Pearson, Althea Growing Through Loss and Grief (1994)
This is a requirement we've already identified and are working hard to procure a new shirt that fits the bill.
The Sun (2009)
They may have identified the wrong person or allowed old memories to become confused with things they have read or heard or been told about in counselling.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
But he has already identified a number of problems, including the need to reduce queues and improve the appearance of post offices.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
In other languages
identify
British English: identify /aɪˈdɛntɪˌfaɪ/ VERB
If you can identify someone or something, you can recognize them and say who or what they are.
Now we have identified the problem, we must decide how to fix it.
American English: identify
Arabic: يَتَحَقَّقُ مِنْ شَخْصِيَّةٍ
Brazilian Portuguese: identificar
Chinese: 识别
Croatian: identificirati
Czech: identifikovat
Danish: identificere
Dutch: identificeren
European Spanish: identificar
Finnish: tunnistaa nimetä
French: identifier
German: identifizieren
Greek: προσδιορίζω
Italian: identificare
Japanese: 識別する
Korean: 확인하다
Norwegian: identifisere
Polish: zidentyfikować
European Portuguese: identificar
Romanian: a identifica
Russian: идентифицировать
Latin American Spanish: identificar
Swedish: identifiera
Thai: ชี้ตัว
Turkish: kimlik belirlemek
Ukrainian: розпізнавати
Vietnamese: nhận dạng
All related terms of 'identify'
self-identify
to declare oneself to be a member of a particular group
identify a body
You can refer to a person's dead body as a body .
identify a factor
A factor is one of the things that affects an event, decision , or situation.
identify an issue
An issue is an important subject that people are arguing about or discussing .
identify a location
A location is the place where something happens or is situated.
identify the problem
A problem is a situation that is unsatisfactory and causes difficulties for people.
Chinese translation of 'identify'
identify
(aɪˈdɛntɪfaɪ)
vt
(= recognize) 识(識)别(別) (shíbié)
to identify with sb/sth (= empathize) 与(與)某人/某物认(認)同 (yǔ mǒurén/mǒuwù rèntóng)
to identify sb/sth with (= associate) 与(與)某人/某物相关(關)联(聯) (yǔ mǒurén/mǒuwù xiāng guānlián)
1 (verb)
Definition
to prove or recognize as being a certain person or thing
I tried to identify her perfume.
Synonyms
recognize
The receptionist recognized him at once.
place
I know we've met, but I can't place you.
name
The Scots have yet to name their team.
remember
He was remembering the old days.
spot
He left the party seconds before smoke was spotted coming up the stairs.
label
Too often the press are labelled as irresponsible.
flag
I promise to flag these things more clearly.
catalogue
tag
Important trees were tagged to protect them from machinery.
diagnose
The doctor diagnosed schizophrenia.
classify
make out
pinpoint
It was impossible to pinpoint what caused the leak.
recollect
She spoke with warmth when she recollected the doctor who had treated her.
put your finger on (informal)
2 (verb)
Definition
to prove or recognize as being a certain person or thing
Police have already identified around ten suspects.
Synonyms
establish
An autopsy was being done to establish the cause of death.
spot
confirm
This confirms what I suspected all along.
finger (informal, mainly US)
demonstrate
You have to demonstrate that you are reliable.
pick out
single out
certify
They have certified the document as genuine.
verify
The government has not verified any of these reports.
validate
The evidence has been validated by historians.
mark out
substantiate
There is little scientific evidence to substantiate the claims.
corroborate
I had access to a wide range of documents which corroborated the story.
flag up
3 (verb)
Definition
to prove or recognize as being a certain person or thing
Having identified the problem, we now need to overcome it.
Synonyms
determine
The investigation will determine what really happened.
establish
discover
As he discovered, she had a brilliant mind.
fix
He's fixed a time when I can see him.
work out
decide on
settle on
ascertain
Try to ascertain what services the bank is offering.
deduce
make up your mind on
Phrasal verbs
See identify something or someone with something or someone
See identify with someone
Additional synonyms
in the sense of ascertain
Definition
to find out definitely
Try to ascertain what services the bank is offering.
Synonyms
find out,
learn,
discover,
determine,
confirm,
settle,
identify,
establish,
fix,
verify,
make certain,
suss (out) (slang),
ferret out
in the sense of certify
Definition
to guarantee (that certain required standards have been met)