What does "recognize" mean?

Recognize: To avow knowledge of; to allow that one knows; to consent to admit, hold, or the like; to admit with a formal acknowledgment; as, to recognize an obligation; to recognize a consul.

Additional senses

  1. 2.To acknowledge acquaintance with, as by salutation, bowing, or the like.
  2. 3.To show appreciation of; as, to recognize services by a testimonial.
  3. 4.To review; to reëxamine. [Obs.] South.
  4. 5.To reconnoiter. [Obs.] R. Monro. See Acknowledge.
  5. 6.To enter an obligation of record before a proper tribunal; as, A, B recognized in the sum of twenty dollars. [Written also recognise.] Note: In legal usage in the United States the second syllable is often accented.

Sources