Recognition

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˌɹɛkəɡˈnɪʃən/

Definitions

1. The act of identifying someone or something as known or familiar ; the acknowledgement of achievement or status ; the official acceptance or validation of an idea, right, or fact
2. The process of remembering or being aware of a person, object, or concept previously encountered ; the public or formal expression of approval or reward ; the legal or formal acceptance of a claim, relationship, or authority
3. The mental or official acknowledgment of familiarity or validity ; praise or credit given for accomplishment ; the act of formally accepting or endorsing a status, condition, or truth

Etymology: Recognition is built from the Latin "recognoscere," which combined "re-" (again) with "cognoscere" (to know, to get to know). To recognise something was, at root, to know it again, to pick it out from memory. The Latin noun "recognitio" carried that same sense of renewed knowledge, and it passed into Middle French as "recognicion" before reaching English in its Middle English form. The English word kept that sense of identifying something already known. Its meaning then widened: the act of acknowledging a fact, a claim or a person's authority, and, later, the formal acceptance of a state or government as legitimate. Each of these uses still rests on the original idea of knowing something again.

Synonyms: acknowledgment, identification, appreciation, realization, awareness

Antonyms: ignorance, disregard, oblivion, neglect, overlook