IDENTIFY
Word of the Week
IDENTIFY
iden·ti·fy
verb \ī-ˈden-tə-ˌfī, ə-\
: to know and say who someone is or what something is
: to find out who someone is or what something is
: to show who someone is or what something is
Full Definition of IDENTIFY
transitive verb
1 a : to cause to be or become identical
b : to conceive as united (as in spirit, outlook, or principle) <groups that are identified with conservation>
2 a : to establish the identity of
b : to determine the taxonomic position of (a biological specimen)
intransitive verb
1 : to be or become the same
2 : to practice psychological identification <identify with the hero of a novel>
— iden·ti·fi·able \-ˌden-tə-ˈfī-ə-bəl\ adjective
— iden·ti·fi·ably \-blē\ adverb
Examples of IDENTIFY
1. She identified the dog as her lost pet.
2. He was able to correctly identify the mushroom.
3. The witness positively identified the suspect in the crime.
4. The corpse was identified on the basis of dental records.
5. They could not identify the source of the quotation.
6. They had no difficulty in identifying the problem.
7. We began by identifying what we needed for the job.
8. We need to identify the causes of unemployment.
Related to IDENTIFY
Synonyms
distinguish, finger, ID, pinpoint, single (out), put one's finger on
Related Words
diagnose; determine, find; locate, pick out, place, recognize, spot; check, examine, inspect, investigate, notice, observe, scrutinize; betray, disclose, discover, reveal
Near Antonyms
camouflage, conceal, disguise, hide; counterfeit, feign, sham, simulate