appraisal

American  

[uh-pray-zuhl] / əˈpreɪ zəl /

Or appraisement

noun

• appraisals
  plural

1. the act of estimating or judging the nature or value of something or someone.

2. an estimate of value, as for sale, assessment, or taxation; valuation.

3. an estimate or considered opinion of the nature, quality, importance, etc.

   the critics' appraisal of pop art; an incorrect appraisal of public opinion.

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appraisal British  

/ əˈpreɪzəl /

noun

1. an assessment or estimation of the worth, value, or quality of a person or thing See also performance appraisal

2. a valuation of property or goods

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appraisal Cultural  

1. A formal evaluation of property by an expert, used to establish its market value.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• misappraisal
  noun
• overappraisal
  noun
• reappraisal
  noun
• self-appraisal
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• appraisals
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of appraisal

First recorded in 1810–20; appraise + -al ²

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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!"

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

appraisal appraisals

After reconsidering, Robbins asked Chris to arrange an appraisal.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 3, 2026

It’s a tedious rebuttal to Verlyn Klinkenborg, a fellow commentator on rural life, who in the New York Review of Books in 2020 offered a mixed appraisal of Berry’s essays.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026

In an era of parasocial pop stardom, the radical honesty of Cyrus’ approach — her clear-eyed appraisal of the relationship that binds an idol and her audience — was kind of a thrill to behold.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2026

That could be a critical, overlooked detail in an appeal or appraisal, as it could undermine the insurer’s position.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 18, 2026

The article in the Mercure is a review—the first critical appraisal of Vincent's work, and an exuberantly positive one it is.

From "Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers" by Deborah Heiligman

The recent sale or the Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel, was valued at $600 million by hotel industry analyst and broker Alan Reay, president of Atlas Hospitality, based on recent appraisals and comparable sales of other resorts.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 31, 2026

First, Caine is known to be cautious in his appraisals.

From Slate ● Feb. 24, 2026

Seated around the living room, Guinnip and his siblings dig into packets filled with appraisals and farm history as they discuss plans for land potentially worth millions of dollars.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 15, 2026

The IRS typically looks for evidence, including appraisals, correspondence and estate documents.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 25, 2025

Re-reading these brief moralistic appraisals usually left me disheartened.

From "Hunger of Memory" by Richard Rodriguez

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Related Words

• assessment
• evaluation
• opinion
• pricing
• survey
• valuation

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