identify
Frequently Asked Questions
- recognize—to be able to tell what something is (and often to know its name), as in He immediately identified/recognized it as a monarch butterfly.
- diagnose or pinpoint, as in My mechanic was finally able to identify/diagnose/pinpoint the problem.
- associate, such as with a certain group or belief, as in She’s known for identifying/associating with the party’s reform wing.
- distinguish, as in Her height identified/distinguished her as the volleyball player.
- establish (who someone is), as in He has been identified/established as the main suspect. Relatedly, to identify someone is to figure out who they are—to establish their identity.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
This technique allows scientists to systematically examine genes and identify which ones influence a particular cellular process.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 12, 2026
Kushner also urged Europe to "identify one person to speak on their behalf" in the negotiations.
From BBC ● Nov. 12, 2026
Finally, cloud providers, telecom companies and AI labs should identify defenses that can work nationwide.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 12, 2026
The department will also begin a process to identify where new stations are needed.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 12, 2026
The professors took Leah’s opinion seriously and asked the spirits to identify any “resistors” by rapping.
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
These are made when a coroner identifies circumstances which create a risk of future deaths.
From BBC ● Nov. 10, 2026
“What identifies an individual as a king is how other people behave towards him,” says a quote attributed to the actor.
From Salon ● Oct. 30, 2026
Davidson, said Nvidia identifies parts of the AI ecosystem that are not investing enough and puts money into them to fill the gaps.
From Barron's ● Oct. 30, 2026
McHenry says she and her friend, whom she identifies as Andrew, left their seats and went to a foyer, where an usher offered to move them to seats in another part of the arena.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 29, 2026
"The rover currently parses the signal into bytes, then identifies the specific sequence the Hab sends. That way, natural radio waves won't throw off the homing. If the bytes aren't right, the rover ignores them."
From "The Martian" by Andy Weir
DNA analysis identified three distinct evolutionary lineages, and those divisions matched the physical differences the team had documented.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 12, 2026
ABC 7 identified the sedan as a BMV and noted that one additional person was taken to a local hospital in an unknown condition.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 12, 2026
He said city officials had identified the companies running the construction site, and were examining 100 other sites operated by the same groups to ensure they are safe.
From BBC ● Nov. 12, 2026
Using these predictions, the researchers identified combinations of electrical signals that were most likely to produce particular patterns of brain activity.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 12, 2026
She provided money, papers that identified him as a free sailor, and a uniform.
From "In the Shadow of Liberty" by Kenneth C. Davis
A team of scientists from University of Delhi and Harvard University made the discoveries after five years of fieldwork, identifying the frogs as members of the Jingophrys group.
From BBC ● Nov. 12, 2026
Good journalism isn’t just about being there first; it’s also about recognizing an important story and identifying something that matters to our readers.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 12, 2026
County Sheriff Civilian Oversight Commission and Office of Inspector General to create a framework for identifying deputy gangs and secret groups within the department.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 10, 2026
These cells act as coordinators, identifying potential threats and directing other immune cells to respond.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 9, 2026
What progress has your department made identifying who's responsible?
From "Linked" by Gordon Korman
Vocabulary lists containing identify
Tier 2 Words for the SBAC ELA Items
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PARCC: Language of the Test (Grade7)
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Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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