Recognisable

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˈɹɛkə(ɡ)naɪzəbəl/

Definitions

1. Easily identified or distinguished because of unique traits
2. Capable of being acknowledged or pinpointed due to notable characteristics
3. Can be identified or noticed by particular features or traits

Etymology: "Recognisable" is a plain formation: the verb "recognise" with the suffix "-able" attached. The verb itself came into English from Old French "reconoistre", which descends from Latin "recognoscere", meaning "to know again" or "to examine", built from "re-" (again) and "cognoscere" (to know). So the word literally means "able to be known again", which is still close to what it means today: something you can identify from earlier knowledge of it. The suffix has a longer road. The ending traces back through Latin "-bilis" and "-abilis", passed through Old French "-able", and entered English in the Middle English period, where it became a productive way to turn verbs into adjectives. That is why English could build "recognisable" from any verb, and why the same ending appears in "readable" and "washable".

Synonyms: identifiable, discernible, observable

Antonyms: unrecognizable, indistinct