identify
Definitions
To recognize someone or something and be able to say who or what they are.
识别；认出；确定（身份、性质）。
To find or point out something (a problem, cause, need).
找出；指出（问题、原因、需求等）。
To feel that you share something with another person (identify with).
（identify with）与…有同感，对…产生共鸣。
Root Breakdown
Root-derivedidenti (same, from Latin idem) + -fy (to make, from fac) = 'to make the same' — to match an unknown thing against a known one until they line up. You identify a face by matching it, identify a problem by recognizing its pattern.
Root identic still carries 5 more wordsUsage Guide
Three patterns worth separating: 'identify someone' (recognize who they are), 'identify a problem' (locate/pinpoint it), and 'identify with someone' (relate emotionally). The 'identify with' sense is intransitive and very different from the others.
Example Sentences
- 1.
Witnesses were unable to identify the man in the dark.
- 2.
The study identifies three main causes of the failure.
- 3.
Many readers identify with the lonely main character.
Easily Confused
identify vs recognize — recognize is passive: you know something because you've seen it before (I recognize her face). identify is active and analytical: you work out what something is, often from clues (the lab identified the substance). You recognize a friend; a detective identifies a culprit.