student asking question

What does "recognize" mean?

teacher

Native speaker’s answer

Rebecca

The verb "recognize" has two common uses and meanings. The first is “to identify," if you recognize something or someone, it means you have seen it or them before. So here he is asking her if she has seen any of the men before. Recognize can also mean “to acknowledge” or “to appreciate.” When you recognize someone for their had work or effort it means you show that appreciate what they have done. Ex: Even though I haven't seen him in years I would still recognize him. Ex: The best student was recognized by the school and got a prize.

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