appreciation
Americannoun
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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
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.
Winmill said capital appreciation is the sole purpose of the fund, which has outperformed the S&P 500 on three-, five- and 10-year annualized bases.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 9, 2026
It’s on appreciation, namely for the recipes and rituals I took for granted, or rolled my eyes at, growing up.
From Salon • Jun. 7, 2026
“There’s I believe a growing appreciation that AIs are the new nukes, you have to have them.”
From Barron's • Jun. 5, 2026
Those fortunate enough to get a presidential rebrand appear anxious to show their appreciation.
From Slate • Jun. 5, 2026
To show his appreciation, Vanderbilt set up a brokerage firm, Woodhull, Claflin & Co., the first female firm on Wall Street.
From "Votes for Women!" by Winifred Conkling
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.
