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.

---

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

---

appearance More Idioms  

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

---

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

Example Sentences

Experts identified it as likely being a US missile, based on its appearance, the size of the blast and the distance from potential US launch sites in the Middle East.

From BBC • Apr. 3, 2026

Zuckerberg used a three-hour January 2025 appearance on Joe Rogan's podcast to defend Meta's rollback of content moderation.

From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026

Also making an appearance in “Bigger Than Fashion” is Virgil Abloh, the influential designer who rose from obscurity in suburban Chicago to launch Off-White, a brand with Duchampian “nothing is new” chic, in 2013.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

Now he won’t even make an appearance, let alone play.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026

I hadn’t done Stray Cat prep, since his appearance was a surprise.

From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith

Related Words

• arrival
• debut
• display
• presence
• presentation