identify
verb
iden·ti·fy
ī-ˈden-tə-ˌfī 
ə-
identified; identifying; identifies
1
a
: to perceive or state the identity of (someone or something)
"It's the young man!" I thought, feeling my heart shoot as I identified him.—
Charlies Dickens
Charlies DickensMr. Mace identified the phial handed him by Counsel as that sold by him to "Mr. Inglethorp."—Agatha Christie
Agatha ChristieHitters say the spitball is easily identified because, while it has the speed of a fastball, it scarcely rotates.—Ron Fimrite
Ron Fimrite
b(1)
: to ascertain the identity of (someone or something that is unfamiliar or unknown)
He was able to quickly identify the problem.
Police have identified a person of interest.
Dr. McGovern explains that "identifying the cause of the disease is a breakthrough. …"—The Chronicle of the Horse
The Chronicle of the Horse
(2)
: to determine the taxonomic position or category of (a biological specimen)
We were able to identify the plant as belonging to the nightshade family.
2
a
: to conceive as united (as in spirit, outlook, or principle)
These groups are identified with conservation.
b
: to cause to be or become identical
identified her interests with theirs
Sometimes people identify success with money, but for me it's giving of yourself.—Lorna E. Barnes
Lorna E. BarnesIn some strange way the boat became identified with himself, and just as it would have been useless for him to get up and steer the boat, so was it useless for him to struggle any longer with the irresistible force of his own feelings.—Virginia Woolf
Virginia Woolf1
: to feel a sense of unity (as of interests, purpose, or effect) and close emotional association : to engage in psychological identification
Many readers identify with the hero of a novel.
I could identify with the anxiety she was experiencing.
2
: to have or assert an identity of a specified kind
Of the high school students who participated, 77% identified as female, 20% identified as male, 2% identified as nonbinary …—Elizabeth Beyer
Elizabeth Beyer3
archaic
: to be or become the same
… new channels of communication will be opened between the States, the lines of separation will disappear, their interests will be identified, and their union cemented by new and indissoluble bonds.—Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson
Examples of identify in a Sentence
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.
Recent Examples on the Web
Scanning Noelle for an identifying microchip and putting up posters didn’t reveal the dog’s owner, so Chen adopted her herself.
—Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 26 Apr. 2024
Those reviews will include any application to export U.S. guns to countries that the State Department has identified as a risk for human-rights abuses and arms trafficking.
—David Kocieniewski / Bloomberg, TIME, 26 Apr. 2024
With the help of a DNA sample from her twin sister Sherry, the remains were identified as Turner on Feb. 23.
—Ingrid Vasquez, Peoplemag, 26 Apr. 2024
However, its current use is generally as an umbrella term for lesbians, bisexuals, pansexuals and other women-loving women, and for transgender and nonbinary people who may not identify as women themselves but align with this spectrum of attraction and community.
—Alex Berg, NBC News, 25 Apr. 2024
The Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office and police identified him as 18-year-old Etavion Barnes.
—Nicole Lopez, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Apr. 2024
These heritage places are not a luxury, a city is identified by its cultural history and historical landmarks.
—Patrick Frater, Variety, 25 Apr. 2024
The man was identified by park officials in a news release as Thomas L. Robinson of Santa Fe, New Mexico.
—Kerry Breen, CBS News, 25 Apr. 2024
Crews carried his body back to the trail where he was identified, the sheriff's office wrote in the release.
—USA TODAY, 25 Apr. 2024
Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 26 Apr. 2024
Those reviews will include any application to export U.S. guns to countries that the State Department has identified as a risk for human-rights abuses and arms trafficking.
—David Kocieniewski / Bloomberg, TIME, 26 Apr. 2024
With the help of a DNA sample from her twin sister Sherry, the remains were identified as Turner on Feb. 23.
—Ingrid Vasquez, Peoplemag, 26 Apr. 2024
However, its current use is generally as an umbrella term for lesbians, bisexuals, pansexuals and other women-loving women, and for transgender and nonbinary people who may not identify as women themselves but align with this spectrum of attraction and community.
—Alex Berg, NBC News, 25 Apr. 2024
The Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office and police identified him as 18-year-old Etavion Barnes.
—Nicole Lopez, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Apr. 2024
These heritage places are not a luxury, a city is identified by its cultural history and historical landmarks.
—Patrick Frater, Variety, 25 Apr. 2024
The man was identified by park officials in a news release as Thomas L. Robinson of Santa Fe, New Mexico.
—Kerry Breen, CBS News, 25 Apr. 2024
Crews carried his body back to the trail where he was identified, the sheriff's office wrote in the release.
—USA TODAY, 25 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'identify.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near identify
Cite this Entry
“Identify.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/identify. Accessed 29 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
identify
verb
iden·ti·fy
ī-ˈdent-ə-ˌfī
ə-ˈdent-
identified; identifying
1
: to think of as united (as in spirit or principle)
groups identified with conservation
2
: to find out or show the identity of
identified the dog as her lost pet
3
: to think of oneself as having the same problems and feelings as someone else
identify with a character in a story
Medical Definition
identify
verb
iden·ti·fy
ī-ˈdent-ə-ˌfī, ə-
identified; identifying
: to determine the taxonomic position of (a biological specimen)
: to undergo or experience psychological identification
identify with the hero of a novel
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