Dictionary
identify
verb iden·ti·fy \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
iden·ti·fiediden·ti·fy·ing
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
See identify defined for English-language learners
See identify defined for kids
Examples of IDENTIFY
- She identified the dog as her lost pet.
- He was able to correctly identify the mushroom.
- The witness positively identified the suspect in the crime.
- The corpse was identified on the basis of dental records.
- They could not identify the source of the quotation.
- They had no difficulty in identifying the problem.
- We began by identifying what we needed for the job.
- We need to identify the causes of unemployment.
First Known Use of IDENTIFY
1644
Related to IDENTIFY
- Synonyms
- distinguish, finger, ID, pinpoint, single (out), put one's finger on
identify
verb iden·ti·fy \ī-ˈdent-ə-ˌfī, ə-\ (Medical Dictionary)
iden·ti·fiediden·ti·fy·ing
Medical Definition of IDENTIFY
transitive verb
: to determine the taxonomic position of (a biological specimen)
intransitive verb
: to undergo or experience psychological identification <identify with the hero of a novel>
Learn More About IDENTIFY
Browse
Next Word in the Dictionary: identifying pronounPrevious Word in the Dictionary: identifierAll Words Near: identify
Seen & Heard
What made you want to look up identify? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).