- 1(informal ID) to recognize someone or something and be able to say who or what they are identify somebody/something as somebody/something The bodies were identified as those of two suspected drug dealers. identify somebody/something He was able to identify his attacker. Passengers were asked to identify their own suitcases before they were put on the plane. Many of those arrested refused to identify themselves (= would not say who they were). First of all we must identify the problem areas.
- 2to find or discover someone or something identify something Scientists have identified a link between diet and cancer. As yet they have not identified a buyer for the company. identify what, which, etc… They are trying to identify what is wrong with the present system.
- 3identify somebody/something (as somebody/something) to make it possible to recognize who or what someone or something is In many cases, the clothes people wear identify them as belonging to a particular social class. Phrasal Verbsbe identified withidentify with
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NAmE//aɪˈdɛntəˌfaɪ//
Verb Forms present simple I / you / we / they identify he / she / it identifies
past simple identified
-ing form identifying
See identify in the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary
Check pronunciation: identify