appreciation
Americannoun
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appreciations
plural
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gratitude; thankful recognition.
They showed their appreciation by giving him a gold watch.
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the act of estimating the qualities of things and giving them their proper value.
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clear perception or recognition, especially of aesthetic quality.
a course in art appreciation.
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an increase or rise in the value of property, goods, etc.
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critical notice; evaluation; opinion, as of a situation, person, etc.
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a critique or written evaluation, especially when favorable.
noun
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thanks or gratitude
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assessment of the true worth or value of persons or things
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perceptive recognition of qualities, as in art
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an increase in value, as of goods or property
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a written review of a book, etc, esp when favourable
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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nonappreciationnoun
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overappreciationnoun
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self-appreciationnoun
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superappreciationnoun
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unappreciationnoun
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appreciationaladjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of appreciation
First recorded in 1600–10; earlier appretiation, from French appréciation, from Late Latin appretiātiō “appraisal, valuation”; equivalent to appreciate + -ion
Explanation
When you have an appreciation for something, you can see and truly understand its good qualities. One way to show your appreciation for a particularly wonderful musical performance is to give a standing ovation when it's over. A slightly different kind of appreciation is having good taste or the ability to see aesthetic beauty in something, like members of a wine appreciation group or the teacher of a music appreciation class. There's also the appreciation that means a rise in monetary value — you might refer to the appreciation of the value of a house, for example.
Vocabulary lists containing appreciation
The SAT: Words to Capture Tone, List 1
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The New SAT: Words to Capture Tone
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May Vocabulary Words
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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:
Most fans simply left as the players embarked on their post-match lap of appreciation.
From BBC ● Sep. 16, 2026
These calculations assume a 6.1% mortgage rate, a 20% down payment and a 4% annual home appreciation rate.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 16, 2026
Reflecting back on the homes she’s worked in, Thompson said the most rewarding part of the job is the recognition and appreciation she receives from the families.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 14, 2026
The spouses can retain assets they owned at the outset, but any appreciation in those assets over the course of the marriage are typically divided equally.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 13, 2026
Everyone here thinks my interest is just a passing fancy, since they’ve never heard of a teenager with an appreciation of mythology.
From "The Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank
He wrote introductions and appreciations, edited anthologies and reissues, taught in writing programs, recommended candidates for artist residencies, advised the Guggenheim Foundation on fellowship recipients and informally brokered the advancement of innumerable authors.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 7, 2025
Throw in the sheer tonnage of think pieces and appreciations and other navel-gazing and you’d be forgiven for asking: Do we also need a book about Lorne Michaels?
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 18, 2025
These are not mutually exclusive appreciations of this gown, but I brought to the discussion my research on abolitionist visual culture and read it through that lens.
From Slate ● May 4, 2023
Stewart shunned all sendoffs and appreciations in his final season, something Harvick told the AP that Stewart now regrets.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 12, 2023
Charming, in the slighter vein, are such appreciations as the Monticelli, and Chardin.
From Franz Liszt by James Huneker
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.
