iden·ti·fy
Pronounced:
/aɪˈdɛntəˌfaɪ/
Function:
verbInflected forms:
iden·ti·fies; iden·ti·fied; iden·ti·fy·ingMeaning:
[+ obj] 1 : to know and say who someone is or what something is ▪ 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. ▪ She was easily identified by what she was wearing. [=it was easy to see who she was because of what she was wearing] ▪ He has a talent for identifying [=recognizing] good workers.
2 : to find out who someone is or what something is ▪ 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.
3 : to show who someone is or what something is ▪ His clothes identified him as a clerk. [=his clothes showed that he was a clerk] ▪ an identifying mark/feature [=a mark/feature that shows who someone is or what something is]
2 : to find out who someone is or what something is ▪ 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.
3 : to show who someone is or what something is ▪ His clothes identified him as a clerk. [=his clothes showed that he was a clerk] ▪ an identifying mark/feature [=a mark/feature that shows who someone is or what something is]
identify with [phrasal verb]
1 identify (something) with (something) : to think of (something) as being the same as (something else) ▪ It is a mistake to identify [=equate] being healthy with being thin.
2 identify (someone) with (something) : to think of (someone) as being very closely associated with (something) —often used as (be) identified with ▪ She has always been identified with the civil rights movement. ▪ These groups are identified with conservation.
3 identify with (someone or something) : to think of yourself as having the same problems and feelings as someone ▪ Many readers identify with the characters in her novels. ▪ He could identify with the problems the athlete was having. [=he understood the problems because he had had similar problems himself]
2 identify (someone) with (something) : to think of (someone) as being very closely associated with (something) —often used as (be) identified with ▪ She has always been identified with the civil rights movement. ▪ These groups are identified with conservation.
3 identify with (someone or something) : to think of yourself as having the same problems and feelings as someone ▪ Many readers identify with the characters in her novels. ▪ He could identify with the problems the athlete was having. [=he understood the problems because he had had similar problems himself]
identify yourself
: to say who you are ▪ When the police asked his name, he refused to identify himself.
—iden·ti·fi·able /aɪˌdɛntəˈfajəbəl/ adjective [more iden*ti*fi*able; most iden*ti*fi*able] ▪ a clearly/readily identifiable signature
/aɪˌdɛntəˈfajəbəl/ adjective [more iden*ti*fi*able; most iden*ti*fi*able] ▪ a clearly/readily identifiable signature—iden·ti·fi·ably /aɪˌdɛntəˈfajəbli/ adverb ▪ The band has an identifiably British sound.
/aɪˌdɛntəˈfajəbli/ adverb ▪ The band has an identifiably British sound.