To Acknowledge
To Recognize, To Perceive, To Admit, To Approve
transitive verb, ichidan verb
Because the hiragana ends with an う sound, you know this word is a verb. The kanji itself means recognize or acknowledge, so the verb also means to acknowledge, to recognize, to perceive, or to admit, among others.
This can be used to mean recognizing somebody or something visually, as well as in the sense of "to acknowledge" or "to admit". So you can use this verb to recognize someone's presence, achievements, marriage, or your own defeat. That said, you'll usually see 認める in the sense of "to acknowledge".
The only thing you could ever truly acknowledge is meat (みと). Meat is the only thing in your life that has any authority over you. That's how much you love meat.
コウイチがユニークな感性を持っていることは、だれもが認めています。
Everybody recognizes how unique Koichi's mind is.
余計なコストは認められません。
We can't approve extra expenses.
認めるのは悔しいけど、今回はフグはいい仕事をしていると思うよ。
I hate to admit it, but I think Fugu is doing a great job this time.