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Synonyms

appraise

American  
[uh-preyz] / əˈpreɪz /

verb (used with object)

appraises, present (3rd person singular) appraised, past participle, past appraising present participle
  1. to estimate the monetary value of; determine the worth of; assess.

    We had an expert appraise the house before we bought it.

  2. to estimate the nature, quality, importance, etc..

    He tried to appraise the poetry of John Updike.


appraise British  
/ əˈpreɪz /

verb

  1. to assess the worth, value, or quality of

  2. to make a valuation of, as for taxation purposes

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Usage

Appraise is sometimes wrongly used where apprise is meant: they had been apprised ( not appraised ) of my arrival

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Etymology

Origin of appraise

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English apraysen “to set a value on”; probably equivalent to a conflation of apprize 1 and praise (with the sense of prize 2 )

Explanation

When you buy a house someone will need to appraise its value before you can get a mortgage. To appraise something is to figure out its worth in the marketplace, on the field, or in the world of ideas. To appraise the value of a friendship is difficult, but to appraise the value of your grandfather’s pocket watch — just go to the pawn shop. The verb appraise comes from the Late Latin word appretiare, which means “value” or “estimate.” You can appraise your chances of marrying royalty, which are probably slim. You can also appraise the value of a quarterback on your fantasy football team by looking at the statistics for his completed passes.

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