- recognize
- (BrE also -ise) verb1 know sb/sth againADVERB▪ immediately, instantly▪
I immediately recognized the building.
▪ correctly, well▪She recognized the song correctly.
▪ easily▪This is the only species of flamingo in the region, easily recognized by its pink plumage.
▪ barely, hardly▪Stella hardly recognized her brother.
▪ vaguely▪I vaguely recognized his voice, but couldn't think of his name.
VERB + RECOGNIZE▪ learn to▪You learn to recognize the calls of different birds.
▪ be easy toPREPOSITION▪ as▪He recognized the man as one of the police officers.
▪ by▪I recognized her by her red hair.
▪ from▪I recognized them from a television show.
2 understand or acknowledge sthADVERB▪ clearly, fully▪They fully recognize the need to proceed carefully.
▪ belatedly, finally▪The government has belatedly recognized the danger to health of passive smoking.
▪ readily▪He readily recognizes the influence of Freud on his thinking.
▪ rightly▪The 1970s are rightly recognized as a golden era of Hollywood film-making.
VERB + RECOGNIZE▪ must, need to▪ begin to▪ be slow to▪The company had been slow to recognize the opportunities available to it.
▪ fail toPREPOSITION▪ as▪This issue must be recognized as a priority for the next administration.
PHRASES▪ be commonly recognized, be generally recognized, be universally recognized, be widely recognized▪ be increasingly recognized▪The strength of this argument is being increasingly recognized.
▪ failure to recognize sth▪ it is important to recognize sth▪It's important to recognize that obesity isn't necessarily caused by overeating.
3 accept sth officiallyADVERB▪ clearly▪The law clearly recognizes that a company is separate from those who invest in it.
▪ federally (AmE), formally, legally, officially▪ globally, internationally, nationally▪The estuary is recognized internationally as an important area for wildlife.
▪ publicly▪The company should publicly recognize its mistake.
▪ explicitly, implicitly▪The court explicitly recognized the group's right to exist.
▪Criminal law implicitly recognizes a difference between animals and property.
▪ currently▪Do any US states currently recognize gay marriage?
VERB + RECOGNIZE▪ agree to▪ refuse toPREPOSITION▪ as▪All rivers should be officially recognized as public rights of way.
PHRASES▪ be legally recognized▪A bill of exchange is a legally recognized document.
▪ a refusal to recognize sthRecognize is used with these nouns as the object: ↑ability, ↑accomplishment, ↑achievement, ↑authority, ↑benefit, ↑breed, ↑category, ↑complexity, ↑contribution, ↑danger, ↑debt, ↑difference, ↑distinction, ↑enormity, ↑error, ↑excellence, ↑existence, ↑extent, ↑fact, ↑failing, ↑folly, ↑futility, ↑handwriting, ↑impact, ↑importance, ↑inadequacy, ↑independence, ↑inevitability, ↑influence, ↑landmark, ↑limit, ↑limitation, ↑link, ↑marriage, ↑merit, ↑mistake, ↑nature, ↑necessity, ↑need, ↑pattern, ↑plight, ↑possibility, ↑potential, ↑problem, ↑reality, ↑republic, ↑responsibility, ↑right, ↑role, ↑seriousness, ↑shortcoming, ↑sign, ↑signature, ↑significance, ↑similarity, ↑sovereignty, ↑status, ↑symptom, ↑syndrome, ↑talent, ↑trait, ↑type, ↑union, ↑validity, ↑value, ↑voice, ↑weakness, ↑worth, ↑writing, ↑wrong
Collocations dictionary. 2013.