recognition

Noun (8)

1. the state or quality of being recognized or acknowledged“the partners were delighted with the recognition of their work”“she seems to avoid much in the way of recognition or acknowledgement of feminist work prior to her own”Synonyms: acknowledgmentacknowledgementType of acceptanceAttribute of acknowledged, unacknowledged
2. the process of recognizing something or someone by remembering“a politician whose recall of names was as remarkable as his recognition of faces”“experimental psychologists measure the elapsed time from the onset of the stimulus to its recognition by the observer”Synonyms: identificationType of memory, rememberingKinds identity, speaker identification
3. approval“give her recognition for trying”“he was given credit for his work”“give her credit for trying”Synonyms: creditType of approval, commendationKinds ovation, memorial, salute
4. coming to understand something clearly and distinctly“a growing realization of the risk involved”“a sudden recognition of the problem he faced”“increasing recognition that diabetes frequently coexists with other chronic diseases”Synonyms: realizationrealisationType of understanding, apprehension
5. (biology) the ability of one molecule to attach to another molecule that has a complementary shape“molecular recognition drives all of biology, for instance, hormone and receptor or antibody-antigen interactions or the organization of molecules into larger biologically active entities”Type of organic phenomenon
6. the explicit and formal acknowledgement of a government or of the national independence of a country“territorial disputes were resolved in Guatemala's recognition of Belize in 1991”Type of diplomacy, diplomatic negotiations
7. an acceptance (as of a claim) as true and valid“the recognition of the Rio Grande as a boundary between Mexico and the United States”
8. designation by the chair granting a person the right to speak in a deliberative body“he was unable to make his motion because he couldn't get recognition by the chairman”