First Known Use: 15th century
Dictionary
recognition
noun rec·og·ni·tion \ˌre-kig-ˈni-shən, -kəg-\
: the act of accepting that something is true or important or that it exists
: the act of accepting someone or something as having legal or official authority
: the act of knowing who or what someone or something is because of previous knowledge or experience
Full Definition of RECOGNITION
1
: the action of recognizing : the state of being recognized: as a : acknowledgment; especially : formal acknowledgment of the political existence of a government or nation b : knowledge or feeling that someone or something present has been encountered before
2
: special notice or attention
3
: the sensing and encoding of printed or written data by a machine <optical character recognition> <magnetic ink character recognition>
See recognition defined for English-language learners
See recognition defined for kids
ADVERTISEMENT
Origin of RECOGNITION
Middle English recognicion, from Anglo-French recognition, from Latin recognition-, recognitio, from recognoscere
Rhymes with RECOGNITION
acoustician, acquisition, admonition, aesthetician, air-condition, ammunition, apparition, apposition, coalition, co-edition, competition, composition, cosmetician, decommission, decondition, definition, demolition, deposition, dietitian, disposition, disquisition, electrician, erudition, exhibition, expedition, exposition, extradition, first edition, imposition, in addition, inanition, in commission, inhibition, inquisition, intermission, intromission, intuition, linguistician, logistician, malnutrition, malposition, manumission, mathematician, mechanician, micturition, obstetrician, on commission, opposition, Ordovician, parturition, politician, precognition, precondition, premonition, preposition, proposition, recondition, repetition, requisition, rescue mission, rhetorician, self-ignition, statistician, submunition, superstition, supposition, text edition, trade edition, transposition
RECOGNITION Defined for Kids
recognition
noun rec·og·ni·tion \ˌre-kig-ˈni-shən\
Definition of RECOGNITION for Kids
1
: the act of knowing and remembering upon seeing <She looked straight at Johnny and he at her. Neither gave any sign of recognition. — Esther Forbes, Johnny Tremain>
2
: the act of accepting the existence, truth, or importance of something <recognition of past mistakes>
3
: special attention or notice <The writer's work won recognition.>
Medical Dictionary
recognition
noun rec·og·ni·tion \ˌrek-əg-ˈnish-ən\
Medical Definition of RECOGNITION
: the form of memory that consists in knowing or feeling that a present object has been met before
Learn More About RECOGNITION
Browse
Next Word in the Dictionary: recognition markPrevious Word in the Dictionary: recogniseAll Words Near: recognition
ADVERTISEMENT
Seen & Heard
What made you want to look up recognition? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).