appraisal
Americannoun
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appraisals
plural
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the act of estimating or judging the nature or value of something or someone.
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an estimate of value, as for sale, assessment, or taxation; valuation.
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an estimate or considered opinion of the nature, quality, importance, etc.
the critics' appraisal of pop art; an incorrect appraisal of public opinion.
noun
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an assessment or estimation of the worth, value, or quality of a person or thing See also performance appraisal
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a valuation of property or goods
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of appraisal
Explanation
An appraisal is a judgment of something, especially an estimate of how much it's worth. Usually you need an expert to give an official appraisal. If you were selling a house, you'd need an expert in real estate to give an appraisal of how much it's worth — that's an official estimate of how much you could sell it for. But this word can also be used in other less formal situations that call for a judgment or opinion of some sort. If you painted a picture, you could ask, "What's your appraisal of my work?" Hopefully the answer is "beautiful!"
Vocabulary lists containing appraisal
The Witch of Blackbird Pond
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Most Dangerous
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This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for August 20–August 26, 2022
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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:
He added that the valuations were established through the federal government’s required appraisal process, using independent appraisers who determined objective fair market value.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 7, 2026
In mid-February, a trust bought a 5,000-square-foot home listed for $2.4 million in a gated community in Denton County, according to the appraisal district and the seller’s real estate agent.
From Salon ● Jul. 7, 2026
One of her team jokes that this will come up in her appraisal.
From BBC ● Jun. 4, 2026
Standard practice requires an independent appraisal, public hearings with standing for affected parties, and an independent successor foundation that receives full value for the converted assets.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 13, 2026
This turned out to be an accurate appraisal of the lawyer’s then immediate future, now his receding past.
From "The Milagro Beanfield War" by John Nichols
First, Caine is known to be cautious in his appraisals.
From Slate ● Feb. 24, 2026
She says the Board of Review’s assessments are more in line with industry standards on commercial appraisals.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 22, 2025
If you found any prior appraisals, that would be a big help.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 25, 2025
Mortgage lenders generally are averse to carrying existing loans over to new borrowers or new properties, at least without new appraisals, credit checks and other paperwork.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 18, 2025
“I would be happy to do appraisals for you. What sort of gems?”
From "Ruby Holler" by Sharon Creech
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.
