appear
Americanverb (used without object)
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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
Conjugated Forms
Present
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have appearedperfect
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has appearedperfect 3rd person singular
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has been appearingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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are appearingprogressive
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have been appearingperfect progressive
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is appearingprogressive 3rd person singular
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appearssingular 3rd person
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am appearingprogressive 1st person singular
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appearingparticiple
Past
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had appearedperfect
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were appearingprogressive plural
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appearedsimple
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appearedparticiple
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had been appearingperfect progressive
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was appearingprogressive singular
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
Workshop 1, Part 1
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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.
They appear to have solved one problem only to create another, and now they want another $160 to come back.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 10, 2026
Some have seen their shares punished so severely that expectations now appear low relative to their long-term prospects.
From Barron's • Jun. 10, 2026
Many resembled ferns more than modern animals and appear to have lacked mouths, organs, and the ability to move.
From Science Daily • Jun. 10, 2026
The company hires extroverted gamers who appear to love their jobs.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 10, 2026
He truly did have a really nice smile, one that lit his eyes, making him appear open and trustworthy.
From "Bye Forever, I Guess" by Jodi Meadows
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
