Identifiable means able to be recognized or distinguished from other things. When something is identifiable, you can tell what it is or who it is based on certain features or characteristics.

A person becomes identifiable in a photograph when you can clearly see their face or recognize their distinctive features, like a noticeable scar or unusual hair color. Scientists need identifiable markings to track animals in the wild: a whale researcher might recognize individual whales by the unique patterns on their tails, or a bird watcher might spot an identifiable patch of color on a rare species.

In mystery stories, detectives search for identifiable clues at a crime scene, like a specific type of shoe print or handwriting that points to one particular person. Data becomes identifiable when it contains information that could reveal someone's identity, like a name, address, or student ID number.

The opposite would be anonymous or unidentifiable: a figure so far away or blurry in a photo that you can't tell who it is, or a witness wearing a mask to remain unidentifiable. When something is easily identifiable, it stands out clearly and can't be confused with anything else, like the identifiable smell of fresh-baked cookies or the identifiable sound of your best friend's laugh.