Dictionary

identify en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (US) audio
• /aɪˈdɛn.(t)ə.faɪ/ (US)
• /aɪˈdɛn.(t)ɪ.faɪ/ (US)
• /aɪˈdɛn.tɪ.faɪ/ (UK)

Etymology

From French identifier, from Medieval Latin identicus + Latin faciō.

Meanings

1. (transitive) To establish the identity of someone or something.
   • The formal name of a national having domiciliary register shall be identified by the national identity card. 1953, Enforcement Regulations of the Name Act:
   • A provision of law may not be construed as requiring a new grant to be awarded to a specified non-Federal Government entity unless that provision of law (1) specifically refers to this subsection; specifically identifies the particular non-Federal Government entity involved; and (3) specifically states that the award to that entity is required by such provision of law in contravention of the policy set forth in subsection (a). 1994, Congress of the United States, United States Statutes at Large, volume 108, part 4:
   • It was hard to identify the shoplifter because the CCTV records didn't have a clear image.
   • If you have normal insulins with a normal oral glucose tolerance identifying nondiabetes, does it mean that you were never diabetic... 2008, Joseph R Kraft, Diabetes Epidemic and You:
2. (transitive) To disclose the identity of someone.
   • The Associated Press will not identify the suspect of the crime because he is a juvenile.
3. (transitive) To establish the taxonomic classification of an organism.
   • A recent biological inventory uncovered 41 species and 2 subspecies of insects new to science and many species not before identified in the State of Washington. 2000, Bill Clinton, Proclamation 7319:
4. (transitive) To equate or make the same; to unite or combine into one.
   • 18 February, 1780, Edmund Burke, Speech on Economical Reform Let us identify, let us incorporate ourselves with the people.
   • Every precaution is taken to identify the interests of the people, and their rulers. 1809, David Ramsay, History of South Carolina, volume II, page 80:
5. (reflexive) To have a strong affinity with; to feel oneself to be modelled on or connected to.
   • Der Traum erhält eine neue Deutung, wenn sie im Traum nicht sich, sondern die Freundin meint, wenn sie sich an die Stelle der Freundin gesetzt oder, wie wir sagen können, sich mit ihr identifiziert hat. 1999 [1899], Sigmund Freud, translated by Joyce Crick, Die Traumdeutung [The Interpretation of Dreams], Oxford, published 2008, page 117:
   • Cash endures because his most well-known songs—“I Walk the Line” and “Ring of Fire” among them—weave deeply personal narratives with which listeners of all stripes can effortlessly identify. 2012, Christoper Zara, chapter 1, in Tortured Artists: From Picasso and Monroe to Warhol and Winehouse, the Twisted Secrets of the World's Most Creative Minds, part 1, page 29:
6. (intransitive) To associate oneself with some group; to feel, or believe one feels, the same way.
   • Now, the vast majority of us identify with the second group, the one that believes in trusting the wisdom of the people rather than taking power away from them and concentrating it in the other hands. 1983, S:Presidential Radio Address - 26 February 1983:
   • My lover and I are arguing about time. Specifically how much time I'm devoting to AIDS Action. […] I try not to take her accusations to heart. That is, until she says it. "You're more gay-identified than woman-identified." 1988 February 14, Marea Murray, “Friction Between The Factions”, in Gay Community News, volume 15, number 30, page 12:
7. (reflexive, with as) To claim an identity; to describe oneself as a member of a group; to assert the use of a particular term to describe oneself.
   • "The main message is that it's the interface between individuals and society that causes students who identify as gay, lesbian, or bisexual the most distress," said study first author Yue Zhao. 2010 February 6, “Youth Who Self-Identify as Gay, Lesbian or Bisexual at Higher Suicide Risk, Say Researchers”, in Science Daily:

Forms

Antonyms

misken

Coordinates

authenticate

Deriveds

identifiee · identifier · unidentified · overidentify · photoidentify · identifiability · identifyee · unidentifying · hyperidentify · preidentified · identifiable · deidentify · nonidentified · disidentify · nonidentifying · misidentify · self-identify · underidentified · reidentify

Hyponyms

know someone from Adam · denominate · know someone from a can of paint · classify · know from a bar of soap

Relateds

identical · associate · identity · identification · identic

Synonyms

recognize · ID · to make someone · clock · ken · twig · notice · identify

Translations (102)

it identificare (to establish the identity of someone or something) · es identificar (to establish the identity of someone or something) · sv identifiera (to establish the identity of someone or something) · ko 분별하다 (to establish the identity of someone or something) · ko 식별하다 (to establish the identity of someone or something) · hy նույնականացնել (to establish the identity of someone or something) · mk поистоветува (to equate or make the same; to unite or combine into one) · nl determineren (biology: to establish the taxonomic classification of an organism) · ru отождествля́ться (to associate oneself with some group or to have a strong affinity with; to feel oneself to be modelled on or connected to) · tl kilalanin (to establish the identity of someone or something) · fi samastaa (to equate or make the same; to unite or combine into one) · fi identifioida (to establish the identity of someone or something) · de gleichsetzen (to equate or make the same; to unite or combine into one) · mi tautuhi (to establish the identity of someone or something) · es identificarse (to associate oneself with some group or to have a strong affinity with; to feel oneself to be modelled on or connected to) · la identificō (to establish the identity of someone or something) · fi samaistaa (to equate or make the same; to unite or combine into one) · hu felfed (to disclose the identity of someone) · ru отождестви́ть (to establish the identity of someone or something) · ht idantifye (to establish the identity of someone or something) · it individuare (to establish the identity of someone or something) · ota طانیمق (to establish the identity of someone or something) · fi tunnistaa (biology: to establish the taxonomic classification of an organism) · fr identifier (to establish the identity of someone or something) · nl identificeren (biology: to establish the taxonomic classification of an organism) · hu vallja magát ((with as) to claim an identity; to describe oneself as a member of a group; to assert the use of a particular term to describe oneself) · es identificar (to equate or make the same; to unite or combine into one) · be апазна́ць (to establish the identity of someone or something) · hu felismer (to establish the identity of someone or something) · bg идентифицирам (biology: to establish the taxonomic classification of an organism) · ms mengenalpasti (to establish the identity of someone or something) · tl identipikahin (to establish the identity of someone or something) · fi samaistua (to associate oneself with some group or to have a strong affinity with; to feel oneself to be modelled on or connected to) · uk ототожнювати (to establish the identity of someone or something) · hu megnevez (to disclose the identity of someone) · hu azonosul (to associate oneself with some group or to have a strong affinity with; to feel oneself to be modelled on or connected to) · gd comharraich (to establish the identity of someone or something) · sh poistovetiti (to establish the identity of someone or something) · cs identifikovat (to establish the identity of someone or something) · nl identificeren (to establish the identity of someone or something) · sv identifiera sig (to associate oneself with some group or to have a strong affinity with; to feel oneself to be modelled on or connected to) · mk идентификува се (to associate oneself with some group or to have a strong affinity with; to feel oneself to be modelled on or connected to) · mk поистоветува се (to associate oneself with some group or to have a strong affinity with; to feel oneself to be modelled on or connected to) · hu ráismer (to establish the identity of someone or something) · pl identyfikować (to establish the identity of someone or something) · fi tunnistaa (to establish the identity of someone or something) · ru солидаризи́роваться (to associate oneself with some group or to have a strong affinity with; to feel oneself to be modelled on or connected to) · hu beazonosít (to establish the identity of someone or something) · es identificarse (como) ((with as) to claim an identity; to describe oneself as a member of a group; to assert the use of a particular term to describe oneself) · ca identificar (to establish the identity of someone or something) · ca identificar-se (to associate oneself with some group or to have a strong affinity with; to feel oneself to be modelled on or connected to) · nb identifisere seg (to associate oneself with some group or to have a strong affinity with; to feel oneself to be modelled on or connected to) · es funar (to establish the identity of someone or something) · ru опозна́ть (to establish the identity of someone or something) · eo identigi (to establish the identity of someone or something) · nn identifisere seg (to associate oneself with some group or to have a strong affinity with; to feel oneself to be modelled on or connected to) · ja 識別する (to establish the identity of someone or something) · fi samastua (to associate oneself with some group or to have a strong affinity with; to feel oneself to be modelled on or connected to) · mi tautohu (to establish the identity of someone or something) · cmn 辨認 /辨认 (to establish the identity of someone or something) · ko 동정(同定)하다 (biology: to establish the taxonomic classification of an organism) · ms mengenali (to establish the identity of someone or something) · ru pf (to associate oneself with some group or to have a strong affinity with; to feel oneself to be modelled on or connected to) · hu meghatároz (biology: to establish the taxonomic classification of an organism) · be ідэнтыфікава́ць (to establish the identity of someone or something) · af identifiseer (to establish the identity of someone or something) · ru идентифици́ровать (to establish the identity of someone or something) · pt identificar-se (to associate oneself with some group or to have a strong affinity with; to feel oneself to be modelled on or connected to) · bg отъждествявам се (to associate oneself with some group or to have a strong affinity with; to feel oneself to be modelled on or connected to) · af identifiseer (biology: to establish the taxonomic classification of an organism) · oc identificar (to establish the identity of someone or something) · mk препознава (to establish the identity of someone or something) · af identifiseer (to disclose the identity of someone) · ru отождествля́ть (to establish the identity of someone or something) · ru отождестви́ться (to associate oneself with some group or to have a strong affinity with; to feel oneself to be modelled on or connected to) · hu azonosnak/egynek tekint (to equate or make the same; to unite or combine into one) · nb identifisere (to establish the identity of someone or something) · mk изедначува (to equate or make the same; to unite or combine into one) · hu azonosít (to establish the identity of someone or something) · sh поистоветити (to establish the identity of someone or something) · af identifiseer met (to associate oneself with some group or to have a strong affinity with; to feel oneself to be modelled on or connected to) · id mengidentifikasi (to establish the identity of someone or something) · ru идентифици́роваться (to associate oneself with some group or to have a strong affinity with; to feel oneself to be modelled on or connected to) · mi tāutu (to establish the identity of someone or something) · fi identifioida (biology: to establish the taxonomic classification of an organism) · nn identifisere (to establish the identity of someone or something) · fr s'identifier à (to associate oneself with some group or to have a strong affinity with; to feel oneself to be modelled on or connected to) · be апазнава́ць (to establish the identity of someone or something) · uk ідентифікувати (to establish the identity of someone or something) · ca identificar (to equate or make the same; to unite or combine into one) · pl utożsamiać się (to associate oneself with some group or to have a strong affinity with; to feel oneself to be modelled on or connected to) · mi tautohu (biology: to establish the taxonomic classification of an organism) · ru опознава́ть (to establish the identity of someone or something) · bg идентифици́рам (to establish the identity of someone or something) · hu azonosít (biology: to establish the taxonomic classification of an organism) · mk идентификува (to establish the identity of someone or something) · ca identificar (biology: to establish the taxonomic classification of an organism) · pt identificar (to establish the identity of someone or something) · cmn 識別 /识别 (to establish the identity of someone or something) · fi tunnistautua (to establish the identity of someone or something) · pms identifiché (to establish the identity of someone or something) · de identifizieren (to establish the identity of someone or something)