IDENTIFYING Synonyms: 85 Similar and Opposite Words

identifying 1 of 2

adjective

as in distinguishing

serving to identify as belonging to an individual or group the marching band's striking black-and-silver uniforms serve as its identifying mark for thousands of parade spectators

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

identifying

2 of 2

verb

present participle of identify

as in pinpointing

to find out or establish the identity of sufficient forensic evidence to allow investigators to identify the perpetrator

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in associating

to think of (something) in combination for some reason, he always identified the color red with flowers

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of identifying

Adjective

Heuer’s attorney, Erick Kaardal, argued that privacy concerns could be balanced with the public’s right to access government records by redacting identifying or sensitive information on the forms. — Scott Bauer, Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2026 But the implementation of that plan has been slow, and some locals have expressed discomfort with the idea of submitting more identifying information, Nguyen said. — Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 27 May 2026 There are also passports from Lithuania, Ukraine, the Czech Republic and Russia, with most identifying information blacked out. — Scott MacFarlane, CBS News, 18 Dec. 2025 Another intriguing possibility is to wait until the wireless world’s progress to ever-shorter wavelengths finally hits the millimeter band, which is small enough to resolve most identifying details. — IEEE Spectrum, 16 Jan. 2020

Verb

Acoustic monitoring could therefore provide an additional layer of protection by identifying unusual mechanical behaviour that might otherwise go unnoticed during routine inspections. — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 26 Oct. 2026 But Rodrigues believes technology can augment traditional teaching methods by examining how a student solves an algebra problem or structures a piece of writing and identifying learning gaps. — Dalia Faheid, CNN Money, 26 Oct. 2026 Organizations often focus on evaluating models, identifying use cases and improving prompts. — Chandini Sheeba, Forbes.com, 26 Oct. 2026 Measures Of Success Going deeper than ratings or viewing time is key to identifying classic IP that is ripe for relaunch or reinvention. — Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 26 Oct. 2026 Some luxury products have unique serial numbers or other identifying features that can help with identification. — Sophie Lou Wilson, Vogue, 26 Oct. 2026 There can well be war crimes, but identifying who the war criminal is might be a big challenge. — Kylie Jones, Vox, 25 Oct. 2026 After Saturday’s tragedy, someone sent him the picture identifying Goulding as one of those killed. — Rob Gillies, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026 However, other than spot-testing, the FDA is still assessing how to standardize testing methods for identifying asbestos—a fact that set social media aflame in 2025 when consumers criticized the department for allegedly ending mandatory testing. — Tracy Middleton, Allure, 19 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for identifying

Adjective

In each case, what began as the characteristic business cultures of the two AI superpowers is now embedded in their foreign policy.

— NIALL FERGUSON, Foreign Affairs, 20 Oct. 2026
Humans, for example, typically have their hearts on the left, while other internal organs occupy characteristic positions.

— Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of characteristic

Verb

The directory identifies each group's mission, ideology, organizational role and documented protest activity, distinguishing direct organizers and participants from supporters and amplifiers.

— Asra Q. Nomani, FOXNews.com, 23 Oct. 2026
The pouches also closely resemble nicotine products, raising concerns among school officials about student health and the difficulty of distinguishing between the products.

— ABC News, ABC News, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of distinguishing

Verb

Moments after sitting down at an outdoor table, Oppenheim breathes in the ocean air and starts cheerfully free-associating.

— Alex Barasch, Vulture, 19 Oct. 2026
These immediate, positive reinforcements can help the brain begin associating the healthier behavior with something rewarding.

— Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of associating

Adjective

Altadena had a distinctive and cherished identity before the fire.

— Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2026
The tiny Norwegian archipelago, 68 degrees north of the Arctic Circle and two flights from Oslo, is a distinctive and dramatic landscape with spiky mountains rising from the Norwegian Sea and sandy beaches fringed by fjords.

— Arati Menon, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of distinctive

Verb

Colorado doctors say pinpointing the disease can be complicated, and misdiagnosis rates are high.

— Jasmine Arenas, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026
Location tracking was extremely accurate, pinpointing my exact position on a Google map, which also displayed nearby landmarks.

— John R. Delaney, PC Magazine, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of pinpointing

Verb

Charges say the video shows Buckney renting a shooting lane at the gun shop under his name and correlating with a customer account number.

— WCCO Staff, CBS News, 17 Sep. 2026
What does Open Command do and not do in terms of correlating with pitcher quality statistics?

— Eno Sarris, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of correlating

Adjective

Researchers identified distinct activity patterns in the brain’s dorsal regions that directly correlate with social dominance through the observation of freely interacting mice.

— Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 21 Oct. 2026
Nevertheless, analysts caution that evaluating the deal requires assessing whether the combined entity can generate distinct operational synergies and unlock long term expansion potential.

— , CNBC, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of distinct

Verb

The fact-finding report will be made public 10 days after it is provided to the CSU and CFA.

— Tarini Mehta, Sacbee.com, 22 Oct. 2026
Cleaning graves grew in popularity during the pandemic The trend was particularly popular during the COVID-19 pandemic as people searched for safe hobbies, finding connections over death during a pandemic.

— Kimberlee Kruesi, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of finding

Browse Nearby Words

identify

identifying

identifying (with)

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Identifying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/identifying. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of identifying

adjective

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

milieu

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE

Popular

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes