recognize (also UK -ise) /ˈrekəgnaɪz/ verb [T]
KNOW › to know someone or something because you have seen or experienced them before: I recognized her from her picture. Doctors are trained to recognize the symptoms of disease.
ACCEPT › to accept that something is true or real: [+ (that)] She recognized that she had been partly to blame. Smoking is recognized as a leading cause of lung cancer.
SHOW RESPECT › to officially show respect for someone for an achievement: He was recognized by the governor for his work with teenagers.