noun · 14 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
/ˌɹɛkəɡˈnɪʃ(ə)n/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:R EH2 K AH0 G N IH1 SH AH0 N
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
CMU ARPABET 2:R EH2 K IH0 G N IH1 SH AH0 N
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
The act of recognizing or the condition of being recognized (matching a current observation with a memory of a prior observation of the same entity).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: uncountable, usually
Examples
He looked at her for ten full minutes before recognition dawned.
December 20, 2021, ETSC, New rules on major EU roads should improve infrastructure safety One omission is any language on getting roads ready for automated systems in transport. ETSC had called for provisions on ensuring that road markings, signs and infrastructure take into account the specific needs of e.g. traffic sign recognition and automated lane keeping systems.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
Acceptance as valid or true.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: uncountable, usually
Examples
The law was a recognition of their civil rights.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
Official acceptance of the status of a new government by that of another country.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: uncountable, usually
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
Honour, favourable note, or attention.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: uncountable, usually
Examples
The charity gained plenty of recognition for its efforts, but little money.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
noun
Meaning 5
The propriety consisting for antibodies to bind to some specific antigens and not to others.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: uncountable, usually
Topics: immunology, medicine, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
noun
Meaning 6
A return of the feu to the superior.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: historical, uncountable, usually
Qualifier: Scots law
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
7
noun
Meaning 7
designation by the chair granting a person the right to speak in a deliberative body
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
he was unable to make his motion because he couldn't get recognition by the chairman
the explicit and formal acknowledgement of a government or of the national independence of a country
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
territorial disputes were resolved in Guatemala's recognition of Belize in 1991
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: diplomacy, diplomatic negotiations
13
noun
Meaning 13
(biology) the ability of one molecule to attach to another molecule that has a complementary shape
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
molecular recognition drives all of biology, for instance, hormone and receptor or antibody-antigen interactions or the organization of molecules into larger biologically active entities
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: organic phenomenon
14
noun
Meaning 14
the state or quality of being recognized or acknowledged
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
the partners were delighted with the recognition of their work
she seems to avoid much in the way of recognition or acknowledgement of feminist work prior to her own
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: acknowledgment, acknowledgement
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: acceptance
History
Etymology
Inherited from Middle English recognicion, from Middle French recognicion, recognition and its etymon Latin recognitiōnem (accusative of recognitiō), from recognitus, past participle of recognōscere.
Across languages
Translations
97 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Armenian:
ճանաչում
(čanačʻum)
— the act of recognizing or the condition of being recognized
Bengali:
স্বীকৃতি
(śikriti)
— the act of recognizing or the condition of being recognized
Bulgarian:
разпозна́ване
(razpoznávane)
— the act of recognizing or the condition of being recognized
Catalan:
reconeixement
— the act of recognizing or the condition of being recognized
Chinese Mandarin:
認出 /认出
(rènchū)
— the act of recognizing or the condition of being recognized
Czech:
rozpoznání
— the act of recognizing or the condition of being recognized
Danish:
genkendelse
— the act of recognizing or the condition of being recognized
Dutch:
herkenning
— the act of recognizing or the condition of being recognized
Esperanto:
rekono
— the act of recognizing or the condition of being recognized
Finnish:
tunnistaminen
— the act of recognizing or the condition of being recognized
Finnish:
tunnistus
— the act of recognizing or the condition of being recognized
French:
reconnaissance
— the act of recognizing or the condition of being recognized
Galician:
recoñecemento
— the act of recognizing or the condition of being recognized
German:
Erkennen
— the act of recognizing or the condition of being recognized
German:
Wiedererkennen
— the act of recognizing or the condition of being recognized
German:
Erkennung
— the act of recognizing or the condition of being recognized
Greek:
αναγνώριση
(anagnórisi)
— the act of recognizing or the condition of being recognized
Hungarian:
felismerés
— the act of recognizing or the condition of being recognized
Irish:
aitheantas
— the act of recognizing or the condition of being recognized
Korean:
인식
(insik)
— the act of recognizing or the condition of being recognized
Portuguese:
reconhecimento
— the act of recognizing or the condition of being recognized
Romanian:
recunoaștere
— the act of recognizing or the condition of being recognized
Russian:
узнава́ние
(uznavánije)
— the act of recognizing or the condition of being recognized
Russian:
распознава́ние
(raspoznavánije)
— the act of recognizing or the condition of being recognized
Slovak:
rozpoznanie
— the act of recognizing or the condition of being recognized
Spanish:
reconocimiento
— the act of recognizing or the condition of being recognized
Swedish:
igenkännande
— the act of recognizing or the condition of being recognized
Telugu:
గుర్తింపు
(gurtimpu)
— the act of recognizing or the condition of being recognized
Turkish:
tanınma
— the act of recognizing or the condition of being recognized
Ukrainian:
впізнава́ння
(vpiznavánnja)
— the act of recognizing or the condition of being recognized
Ukrainian:
упізнава́ння
(upiznavánnja)
— the act of recognizing or the condition of being recognized
Ukrainian:
розпізнава́ння
(rozpiznavánnja)
— the act of recognizing or the condition of being recognized
Belarusian:
прызна́нне
(pryznánnje)
— acceptance as valid or true
Bulgarian:
прие́мане
(priémane)
— acceptance as valid or true
Czech:
uznání
— acceptance as valid or true
Danish:
erkendelse
— acceptance as valid or true
Dutch:
erkenning
— acceptance as valid or true
Esperanto:
agnosko
— acceptance as valid or true
Finnish:
tunnustaminen
— acceptance as valid or true
Finnish:
tunnustus
— acceptance as valid or true
Galician:
recoñecemento
— acceptance as valid or true
German:
Anerkennung
— acceptance as valid or true
Hungarian:
elismerés
— acceptance as valid or true
Korean:
승인
(seung'in)
— acceptance as valid or true
Portuguese:
reconhecimento
— acceptance as valid or true
Romanian:
recunoaștere
— acceptance as valid or true
Russian:
призна́ние
(priznánije)
— acceptance as valid or true
Russian:
одобре́ние
(odobrénije)
— acceptance as valid or true
Slovak:
uznanie
— acceptance as valid or true
Swedish:
erkännande
— acceptance as valid or true
Turkish:
kabul
— acceptance as valid or true
Ukrainian:
визна́ння
(vyznánnja)
— acceptance as valid or true
Ukrainian:
визнаття́
(vyznattjá)
— acceptance as valid or true
Ukrainian:
визнава́ння
(vyznavánnja)
— acceptance as valid or true
Armenian:
ճանաչում
(čanačʻum)
— official acceptance of the status of a new government by that of another country
Basque:
aintzatetsi
— official acceptance of the status of a new government by that of another country
Belarusian:
прызна́нне
(pryznánnje)
— official acceptance of the status of a new government by that of another country
Bulgarian:
призна́ване
(priznávane)
— official acceptance of the status of a new government by that of another country
Chinese Mandarin:
承認 /承认
(chéngrèn)
— official acceptance of the status of a new government by that of another country
Czech:
uznání
— official acceptance of the status of a new government by that of another country
Danish:
anerkendelse
— official acceptance of the status of a new government by that of another country
Dutch:
erkenning
— official acceptance of the status of a new government by that of another country
Esperanto:
agnosko
— official acceptance of the status of a new government by that of another country
Finnish:
tunnustaminen
— official acceptance of the status of a new government by that of another country
Finnish:
tunnustus
— official acceptance of the status of a new government by that of another country
Galician:
recoñecemento
— official acceptance of the status of a new government by that of another country
German:
Anerkennung
— official acceptance of the status of a new government by that of another country
Hungarian:
elismerés
— official acceptance of the status of a new government by that of another country
Japanese:
承認
(shōnin)
— official acceptance of the status of a new government by that of another country
Korean:
승인
(seung'in)
— official acceptance of the status of a new government by that of another country
Portuguese:
reconhecimento
— official acceptance of the status of a new government by that of another country
Romanian:
recunoaștere
— official acceptance of the status of a new government by that of another country
Russian:
призна́ние
(priznánije)
— official acceptance of the status of a new government by that of another country
Slovak:
uznanie
— official acceptance of the status of a new government by that of another country
Swedish:
erkännande
— official acceptance of the status of a new government by that of another country
Turkish:
tanınma
— official acceptance of the status of a new government by that of another country
Vietnamese:
công nhận
— official acceptance of the status of a new government by that of another country
Armenian:
գնահատություն
(gnahatutʻyun)
— honour, favorable note, or attention
Bulgarian:
призна́ние
(priznánie)
— honour, favorable note, or attention
Bulgarian:
одобре́ние
(odobrénie)
— honour, favorable note, or attention
Catalan:
reconeixement
— honour, favorable note, or attention
Czech:
uznání
— honour, favorable note, or attention
Danish:
anerkendelse
— honour, favorable note, or attention
Dutch:
erkenning
— honour, favorable note, or attention
Esperanto:
honora mencio
— honour, favorable note, or attention
Finnish:
kunnianosoitus
— honour, favorable note, or attention
Finnish:
huomio
— honour, favorable note, or attention
Finnish:
tunnustus
— honour, favorable note, or attention
Galician:
recoñecemento
— honour, favorable note, or attention
German:
Anerkennung
— honour, favorable note, or attention
Hungarian:
elismerés
— honour, favorable note, or attention
Portuguese:
reconhecimento
— honour, favorable note, or attention
Romanian:
recunoștință
— honour, favorable note, or attention
Romanian:
apreciere
— honour, favorable note, or attention
Russian:
призна́ние
(priznánije)
— honour, favorable note, or attention
Slovak:
uznanie
— honour, favorable note, or attention
Turkish:
takdir
— honour, favorable note, or attention
