1
[ verb ] recognize as being; establish the identity of someone or something

Synonyms

place

Examples

"She identified the man on the "wanted" poster"

Used in print

(The New York Times,...)

Corruption is hardly_a recent development in the city and state that were widely identified as the locale of Edwin_O ' Connor 's novel , `` The Last Hurrah '' .

(Chicago Daily Tribune,...)

[ In Washington , the Federal_Bureau of Investigation identified the Krogers as Morris and Lola_Cohen , an American couple formerly of New_York_City . ]

(The Detroit News...)

The motorist later was identified as Richard_Sarkees , 17 , of 2433 McClellan , currently on probation and under court order not to drive .

A Havana radio_broadcast identified the Americans as Howard_Anderson and August_Jack_McNair .

(The Atlanta Constitution...)

The dead youth was identified as Robert_E._Sims , 19 , of 1688 Oak_Knoll_Cir. , SE .

2
[ verb ] give the name or identifying characteristics of; refer to by name or some other identifying characteristic property

Synonyms

name

Examples

"Many senators were named in connection with the scandal" "The almanac identifies the auspicious months"

Used in print

(Howard Nemerov, "Themes and Methods: The Early...)

The cyclist , a sufficiently commonplace young fellow , is not named but identified simply as `` Life '' - that and a license_number , which Piepsam uses in addressing him .

(Gerald Green, The Heartless Light....)

McFeeley identified himself .

When Joe identified himself , he nodded , unsmiling , and ushered him into a sedate living_room .

(Hampton Stone, The Man Who Looked Death...)

You identify yourself and ask him what 's going_on .

3
[ verb ] consider (oneself) as similar to somebody else

Examples

"He identified with the refugees"

Used in print

(Jaroslav Pelikan, The Shape of Death: life, death and...)

To be the Savior and the Lord , Jesus_Christ has to be a historical individual with a biography all his own ; he dare not be a cosmic aeon that swoops to earth for_a_while but never identifies itself with man 's history .

Each man can identify himself with the history and the death of Jesus_Christ because Jesus_Christ has identified himself with human history and human_death , coming as the head of a new humanity .

Each man can identify himself with the history and the death of Jesus_Christ because Jesus_Christ has identified himself with human history and human_death , coming as the head of a new humanity .

Related terms

see identification

4
[ verb ] conceive of as united or associated

Examples

"Sex activity is closely identified with the hypothalamus"

Used in print

(E. Gellhorn, "Prolegomena to a theory of the emotions"...)

But even in relatively primitive laboratory animals such_as the rat , sex_activity closely identified with the hypothalamus and the visceral_brain is enhanced by the neocortex .

Related terms

relate associate designation

5
[ verb ] as in botany or biology, for example

Used in print

(William G. Pollard, Physicist and Christian....)

This is not to attempt to say what spirit is , but only to employ a commonly used word to designate or simply identify a common experience .

Related terms

name identity classify

6
[ verb ] consider to be equal or the same

Examples

"He identified his brother as one of the fugitives"

Used in print

(Jaroslav Pelikan, The Shape of Death: life, death and...)

Irenaeus does not claim pre-existence for the human soul ; therefore there is no need for him , as there is for Origen , to identify existence itself with the fall .

These two aspects of death cannot be successfully separated , but they dare not be confused or identified .

*