appear
Americanverb (used without object)
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appears,
present (3rd person singular)
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appeared,
past participle, past
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appearing
present participle
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to come into sight; become visible.
A man suddenly appeared in the doorway.
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to have the appearance of being; seem; look.
to appear wise.
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to be obvious or easily perceived; be clear or made clear by evidence.
It appears to me that you are right.
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to come or be placed before the public; be published.
Her biography appeared last year.
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to perform publicly, as in a play, dance, etc..
He appeared as the king in the play.
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to attend or be present, especially to arrive late or stay but a short time.
He appeared at the party but left quickly.
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to come into being; be created, invented, or developed.
Speech appears in the child's first or second year.
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Law. to come formally, especially as a party or counsel, to a proceeding before a tribunal, authority, etc.
verb
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to come into sight or view
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(copula; may take an infinitive) to seem or look
the evidence appears to support you
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to be plain or clear, as after further evidence, etc
it appears you were correct after all
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to develop or come into being; occur
faults appeared during testing
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to become publicly available; be published
his biography appeared last month
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to perform or act
he has appeared in many London productions
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to be present in court before a magistrate or judge
he appeared on two charges of theft
Synonym Usage
See seem.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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appearsimple
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appearssimple
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have appearedperfect
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has appearedperfect
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am appearingprogressive
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are appearingprogressive
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is appearingprogressive
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have been appearingperfect progressive
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has been appearingperfect progressive
Past
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appearedsimple
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had appearedperfect
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was appearingprogressive
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were appearingprogressive
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had been appearingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of appear
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English ap(p)eren, from Anglo-French, Old French aper-, tonic stem of apare(i)r, apparoir, from Latin appārēre “to be seen, appear,” equivalent to ap- ap- 1 ( def. ) + pārēre “to be visible”
Explanation
If something appears, it comes into view. Rub a magic lamp and a genie will appear. If that's the case, she will grant you three wishes. Appear comes from the Latin apparere meaning "to appear, come in sight, make an appearance." Whether literally materializing or seeming to be true, the word appear is used to describe something coming into sight or presenting itself. The word can also be used to describe an actor appearing in a play. Julie Andrews appeared in the musical "Victor Victoria." When someone looks happy, he appears to be happy. When a detail seems true, it appears to be true.
Vocabulary lists containing appear
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Ceremony
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Used coffee grounds may be far more valuable than they appear.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 14, 2026
Demianenko remains hospitalized and was unable to appear in a Van Nuys courtroom on Friday, Bland said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 14, 2026
The two planets will appear close to the bright star Regulus and may even look like a triple star.
From BBC ● Nov. 14, 2026
"Some pairings might seem obvious, while others might appear a bit outlandish, but that is precisely the richness of the tool," said Guesnet.
From Barron's ● Nov. 14, 2026
There is no way to tell when a Flash will appear or how long the Flash will be.
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
She has helped relatives with bills, picks up the check for dinners, and appears to offer financial assistance to anyone who seems to be having a rough time.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 14, 2026
Psyllium appears to slow the breakdown of resistant starch by gut bacteria, allowing more of it to reach deeper sections of the colon before fermentation occurs.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 14, 2026
The cast-bronze lion, which may have been used as a fountain spout at a royal residence, is engraved with floral and geometric patterns; with its expressive wide-open mouth and erect tail, it appears strikingly modern.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 14, 2026
"But it appears that all clinical and operational systems are working effectively," he added.
From BBC ● Nov. 13, 2026
The end of a crowbar appears as a voice calls over the blaring horn.
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
Though about 10% of LAX’s departures were canceled Saturday, the airport appeared to be recovering faster than some others.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 14, 2026
But this was another occasion when Sabalenka, unlike Svitolina, appeared unable to maintain a positive outlook in testing moments.
From BBC ● Nov. 14, 2026
This benefit appeared even among those who had been warned about a possible financial penalty.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 14, 2026
As biologists celebrated the hatchlings’ successful release, disappointing news came from Ventura, where a third olive ridley nest appeared Nov. 1 on San Buenaventura State Beach.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 14, 2026
When Mietje appeared the following morning, I took a small banknote from my purse and tore off a corner.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
"This is not operational? OK," said Duffy, appearing deeply irritated.
From Barron's ● Nov. 14, 2026
Mars is currently high in the eastern sky, with Jupiter below but appearing brighter.
From BBC ● Nov. 14, 2026
Luther’s catechisms, appearing with the finality and exactitude of print, “distilled Christian doctrine into concise, systematic summaries designed to define true belief.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 12, 2026
Instead of first appearing because animals needed to turn their heads, the separation of the skull and shoulders may have developed alongside anatomical changes that allowed the front limbs to support and move the body.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 11, 2026
More kept appearing: dozens of demons and minor gods, each one the spawn of Night.
From "The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
