appraise

verb

ap·​praise ə-ˈprāz How to pronounce appraise (audio)
appraised; appraising

transitive verb

1
: to set a value on : to estimate the amount of
appraise the damage
2
: to evaluate the worth, significance, or status of
especially : to give an expert judgment of the value or merit of
appraise an actor's career
appraisee noun
appraisement noun
appraiser noun
appraisive adjective
Choose the Right Synonym for appraise

estimate, appraise, evaluate, value, rate, assess mean to judge something with respect to its worth or significance.

estimate implies a judgment, considered or casual, that precedes or takes the place of actual measuring or counting or testing out.

estimated the crowd at two hundred

appraise commonly implies the fixing by an expert of the monetary worth of a thing, but it may be used of any critical judgment.

having their house appraised

evaluate suggests an attempt to determine relative or intrinsic worth in terms other than monetary.

evaluate a student's work

value equals appraise but without implying expertness of judgment.

a watercolor valued by the donor at $500

rate adds to estimate the notion of placing a thing according to a scale of values.

a highly rated restaurant

assess implies a critical appraisal for the purpose of understanding or interpreting, or as a guide in taking action.

officials are trying to assess the damage

Examples of appraise in a Sentence

The ring must be appraised by a jeweler before it can be insured. appraise the house and property What is the property's appraised value? In the book, he appraises Hollywood's recent films and contrasts them with several independent films.
Recent Examples on the Web It’s now being cleaned and appraised, but remains in good condition with only a few flecks of paint missing from the piece, according to France. Matthew Brown, Fortune, 30 Jan. 2024 It's now being cleaned and appraised, but remains in good condition with only a few flecks of paint missing from the piece, according to France. CBS News, 29 Jan. 2024 On the way to have the painting appraised, Alexis is attacked, the piece stolen. Oline H. Cogdill, Sun Sentinel, 3 Jan. 2024 So his solution would be to have the guns appraised by a licensed dealer and sold off like any other marital assets in the couple's ongoing divorce. Michael Ruiz, Fox News, 16 Oct. 2023 Rizzuto’s house, just three doors down from Kid Rock’s, was appraised at $8.65 million last year. Brian Bushard, Forbes, 16 Feb. 2024 Small delegations from her Manhattan marketing firm file in to appraise their new asset. Matt Flegenheimer, New York Times, 6 Feb. 2024 The house was appraised at $912,000 based on his date of death. Liz Weston Of Nerdwallet, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Jan. 2024 The property owned by the Branch Banking and Trust Company is the site of an approximately 50,000-square-foot office building, according to records of the Pulaski County assessor's office, which last appraised the property at roughly $3.5 million. Joseph Flaherty, Arkansas Online, 15 Oct. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'appraise.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English appraysen, probably from Anglo-French *appreiser, from a- (from Latin ad-) + preiser to prize, praise

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of appraise was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near appraise

Cite this Entry

“Appraise.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/appraise. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

appraise

verb
ap·​praise ə-ˈprāz How to pronounce appraise (audio)
appraised; appraising
1
: to set a value on
2
: to judge how good someone or something is
appraisement noun
appraiser noun

Legal Definition

appraise

transitive verb
ap·​praise ə-ˈprāz How to pronounce appraise (audio)
appraised; appraising
: to estimate the value of : make an appraisal of
appraiser noun

More from Merriam-Webster on appraise

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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