appearance

American  

[uh-peer-uhns] / əˈpɪər əns /

noun

1. the act or fact of appearing, as to the eye or mind or before the public.

   the unannounced appearance of dinner guests; the last appearance of Caruso in Aïda; her first appearance at a stockholders' meeting.

   Synonyms:

   advent, coming, arrival

2. the state, condition, manner, or style in which a person or object appears; outward look or aspect.

   a table of antique appearance; a man of noble appearance.

   Synonyms:

   presence, demeanor

3. outward show or seeming; semblance.

   to avoid the appearance of coveting an honor.

   Synonyms:

   pretense, face

4. Law. the coming into court of either party to a suit or action.

5. appearances, outward impressions, indications, or circumstances.

   By all appearances, he enjoyed himself.

6. Philosophy. the sensory, or phenomenal, aspect of existence to an observer.

7. Archaic. an apparition.

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idioms

1. make an appearance, to come; arrive.

   He didn't make an appearance until after midnight.

2. put in an appearance, to attend a gathering or meeting, especially for a very short time.

   The author put in an appearance at the cocktail party on her way to dinner.

3. keep up appearances, to maintain a public impression of decorum, prosperity, etc., despite reverses, unfavorable conditions, etc..

   They tried to keep up appearances after losing all their money.

appearance British  

/ əˈpɪərəns /

noun

1. the act or an instance of appearing, as to the eye, before the public, etc

2. the outward or visible aspect of a person or thing

   her appearance was stunning

   it has the appearance of powdered graphite

3. an outward show; pretence

   he gave an appearance of working hard

4. (often plural) one of the outward signs or indications by which a person or thing is assessed

   first appearances are deceptive

5. law

   1. the formal attendance in court of a party in an action

   2. formal notice that a party or his legal representative intends to maintain or contest the issue

      to enter an appearance

6. philosophy

   1. the outward or phenomenal manifestation of things

   2. the world as revealed by the senses, as opposed to its real nature Compare reality

7. to maintain the public impression of wellbeing or normality

8. to come or attend briefly, as out of politeness

9. to the extent that can easily be judged; apparently

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appearance More Idioms  

1. see keep up appearances; put in an appearance.

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Related Words

Appearance, aspect, guise refer to the way in which something outwardly presents itself to view. Appearance refers to the outward look: the shabby appearance of his car. Aspect refers to the appearance at some particular time or in special circumstances; it often has emotional implications, either ascribed to the object itself or felt by the beholder: In the dusk the forest had a terrifying aspect. Guise suggests a misleading appearance, assumed for an occasion or a purpose: under the guise of friendship.

Other Word Forms

• preappearance
  noun
• reappearance
  noun
• subappearance
  noun

Etymology

Origin of appearance

First recorded in 1350–1400; appear + -ance; replacing Middle English aparance, from Anglo-French, Old French, from Late Latin appārentia, neuter plural of Latin appārēns apparent

Explanation

Your appearance is how you look: your clothes, hair, facial expression, skin tone, and posture all factor into your overall appearance. Ever had to go somewhere you didn't want to go? If you stopped by just briefly, you made an appearance. But this word more often has to do with how things look. Your appearance is created by everything people can see, from your hair down to your shoes. Sometimes appearances can be deceiving: maybe you give an appearance of confidence, but you're really nervous inside. The saying "don't judge a book by its cover" means "don't judge by appearances."

Example Sentences

During that appearance — which was recorded in February, but released late last month — Jones said that lofty valuations would make it harder for equity investors to make money.

From MarketWatch • May 7, 2026

“The appearance of software working is not software working, and it’s the slop that is getting a lot of attention,” he said on the earnings call.

From Barron's • May 6, 2026

Steyer has been trailing Becerra in the polls, but Becerra again had a steady if less-than-thrilling appearance.

From Los Angeles Times • May 6, 2026

Brockman's appearance in court is expected to be followed by former OpenAI board member Shivon Zilis, who is the mother of four of Musk's children.

From BBC • May 5, 2026

When she forced a cheery smile, she took on the appearance of a badly painted marionette.

From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood

Related Words

• arrival
• debut
• display
• presence
• presentation