identify

verb

(transitive) To establish the identity of someone or something.

(transitive) To disclose the identity of someone.

(transitive) To equate or make the same; to unite or combine into one.

(intransitive) To associate oneself with some group; to feel, or believe one feels, the same way.

(reflexive) To have a strong affinity with; to feel oneself to be modelled on or connected to.

(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.

(transitive, biology) To establish the taxonomic classification of an organism.

Roots

idemident- · Latin · same

Synonyms for identify

distinguishv recognizev discernv detectv determinev pinpointv definev characterizev assessv differentiatev classifyv evaluatev findv specifyv

Synonyms & related words for identify

Find synonyms, related words, and the definition of identify — including distinguish, recognize, discern, detect, determine, pinpoint. Dendril is a free visual thesaurus that shows them on an interactive map where stronger matches sit closer to the center — no signup, no ads.

Words related to identify

Explore words related to identify — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include discover, describe, locate, identifiably, ascertain, identifiable, identification, analyze. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Synonyms for identify

Common synonyms for identify include distinguish, recognize, discern, detect, determine, pinpoint, define, characterize — words that share a close meaning. Hover or tap any word on the map for its definition and part of speech.

Where does identify come from?

The word identify breaks down into one root of Latin origin: the root ident-, from Latin idem (“same”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.