recognisably

IPA/ˈrek.əɡ.naɪ.zə.bli/
IPA/ˈrek.əɡ.naɪ.zə.bli/

recognisably — adverb

1. so that people can easily know or identify who or what a person or thing is, bec

1.adverbB2
Definition

so that people can easily know or identify who or what a person or thing is, because of a clear or noticeable quality

Example

Even after forty years in Canada, Sven's voice was recognisably the same on the phone.

recognisably + the same — emphasises continuity over time

The old town square is still recognisably the place Valentina remembered from her childhood.

still recognisably — used with 'still' for surviving features

Common collocations
  • recognisably different
  • recognisably the same
  • still recognisably
  • recognisably human
Synonyms
  • noticeably

    focuses on being easily seen or noticed, without implying prior familiarity

  • distinctively

    focuses on features that set something apart from others

  • perceptibly

    more formal; emphasises that a difference can be detected by the senses

  • identifiably

    very close in meaning; focuses on being able to put a name to what is seen or heard

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

recognisably + adjective

recognisably + the same [noun]

Usage Note

Frequently used before adjectives of nationality or before 'the same' to highlight a quality that has survived change or distance. The negative form 'unrecognisably' is also common.

Common Mistakes

She looks recognisable different from her sister.
She looks recognisably different from her sister.
'recognisable' is an adjective; the adverb 'recognisably' is needed to modify the adjective 'different'.
His handwriting is recognisably.
His handwriting is recognisably the same as it was at school.
'recognisably' needs a word to modify; it cannot be the sole complement of a linking verb.

Word family

  • recognise
    verbA2
  • recognition
    nounB1
  • recognisable
    adjectiveB1
  • unrecognisable
    adjectiveB2
  • unrecognisably
    adverbC1
  • recognisability
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: adverb/1

All four adverbs describe something that can be easily seen or recognised, but they highlight different angles. 'Noticeably' emphasises that a change or feature is large enough to attract attention ('The town was noticeably quieter on a Monday'). 'Distinctively' points to features that mark something as different from others of its kind ('His paintings are distinctively colourful and bold'). 'Identifiably' overlaps most closely with 'recognisably', but tends to be used when the observer can put a name or category to what they see ('The melody is identifiably Mozart'). 'Perceptibly' is more formal and often used in technical or academic contexts ('The temperature dropped perceptibly after sunset'). Use 'recognisably' when something has kept a familiar quality despite change or distance — for example, 'The building was recognisably a train station from the nineteenth century.'

noticeablydistinctivelyidentifiablyperceptibly

Common collocations

Nouns

  • difference
  • accent
  • style
  • voice
  • smell
  • appearance

Adverbs

  • still
  • immediately
  • instantly

Phrases

  • recognisably the same
  • recognisably different
  • recognisably human

Prepositions

  • as

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Formed from 'recognise' (which came through French 'reconnaiss-' from Latin 'recognoscere', meaning 'to know again') and the suffix '-ably', which turns adjectives ending in '-able' into adverbs.