Term: molecular recognition https://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.08187 Definition: Attraction between specific molecules through noncovalent interactions that often exhibit electrostatic and stereochemical complementarity between the partners. Note: The partners are usually designated as host and guest, where the host recognizes and binds the guest with high selectivity over other molecules of similar size and shape. Source: PAC, 2022, 94, 353. 'Glossary of terms used in physical organic chemistry (IUPAC Recommendations 2021)' on page 468 (https://doi.org/10.1515/pac-2018-1010) Citation: 'molecular recognition' in IUPAC Compendium of Chemical Terminology, 5th ed. International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry; 2025. Online version 5.0.0, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.08187 License: The IUPAC Gold Book is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike CC BY-SA 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) for individual terms. Disclaimer: The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) is continuously reviewing and, where needed, updating terms in the Compendium of Chemical Terminology (the IUPAC Gold Book). Users of these terms are encouraged to include the version of a term with its use and to check regularly for updates to term definitions that you are using.