French word

identifier

Pronunciation

IPA/idɑ̃tifje/

Meaning

  • verbidentify

Example

Peux-tu identifier la personne sur cette photo ?

Can you identify the person in this photo?

Illustration for identifier (identify)

More examples

La police a pu identifier la personne grâce aux vidéos.

The police were able to identify the person thanks to the videos.

Core concept

A clue-based act of determining exactly who a person is or what an object or piece of information is.

Common phrases

  • identifier une personne

    identify a person

  • identifier un problème

    identify a problem

  • identifier la cause

    identify the cause

Similar words

reconnaître: To recognize someone or something seen before.
repérer: To spot or locate a person, place, or thing.
déterminer: To establish a property, extent, or cause through investigation.
désigner: To point out or name a person or thing clearly.

Definition in French

Identifier veut dire repérer puis préciser qui est une personne ou quelle est la nature d'un objet ou d'une information.

Word origin

French identifier comes from Medieval Latin identificare, formed from idem meaning "same" and facere meaning "make or do".

Usage tips

  • Identifier takes a direct object, as in identifier une personne or identifier un objet, without a preposition.

Other meanings

  • distinguishverb

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word