appearance

American  

[uh-peer-uhns] / əˈpɪər əns /

noun

• appearances
  plural

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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Synonym Usage

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

Derived Forms

• preappearance
  noun
• reappearance
  noun
• subappearance
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• appearances
  plural

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

See Examples For:

appearance appearances

While not run as a hotel, the property is available as a wedding venue - its popularity undoubtedly boosted by its appearance in The Celebrity Traitors - and UK and US versions of The Traitors.

From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026

Back in January 2015, Wynonna gave a teary-eyed account of the disconnect during an appearance on AXS TV’s “The Big Interview With Dan Rather.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026

That appearance, with IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva, would provide an opportunity to reinforce or recalibrate the message delivered this week.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026

The evidence indicates that they interacted with water on at least three separate occasions, and each episode changed their chemistry and physical appearance in different ways.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 30, 2026

“They were different than most of their neighbors in appearance, in the foods they ate, the things they loved. But they were willing to accept and share with others.”

From "The Last Cuentista" by Donna Barba Higuera

For Skubal, in six postseason appearances, all of them starts: 2.04.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026

And he is now just two appearances away from equalling Peter Shilton's mark of 125 international appearances as he hones in on becoming England's most capped player ever.

From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026

Alexander-Arnold, however, could not have done any more as England, who sealed the three points with captain Harry Kane's 87th goal in 123 international appearances, got their Nations League campaign going in Prague.

From BBC ● Sep. 29, 2026

Not coincidentally, the Astros snapped their streak of eight straight postseason appearances.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026

He wore a gray county-issue sweatshirt and khakis, and while he had lost the terrified look of his early court appearances, his eyes remained wary.

From "The 57 Bus" by Dashka Slater

Related Words

• arrival
• debut
• display
• presence
• presentation