To identify something is to recognize it and say exactly what or who it is. It can also mean to feel that you are closely connected with a group, role, or person.
From Late Latin "identificare" meaning "to make the same," combining "idem" (the same) and "facere" (to make or do). Over time, it shifted from making things the same to recognizing what something is.
When you identify a bird or a plant, you’re turning raw sensation into a named pattern your brain already knows. Saying you "identify as" something is doing the same thing with your inner life—choosing which pattern best fits who you are.
'Identify' is widely used in discussions of gender identity and self-description, reflecting shifts from assigning gender externally to recognizing self-identification. Historically, institutions often ignored or overruled how people identified themselves.
Respect how people say they identify (e.g., 'she identifies as…') and avoid challenging or mocking self-identification; distinguish between how someone identifies and how others label them.
["self-describe","recognize as","classify (for non-persons)"]
Trans and nonbinary people, including many women, have pushed for recognition of self-identification in law, medicine, and everyday language.
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