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Synonyms

appreciation

American  
[uh-pree-shee-ey-shuhn] / əˌpri ʃiˈeɪ ʃən /

noun

  1. gratitude; thankful recognition.

    They showed their appreciation by giving him a gold watch.

  2. the act of estimating the qualities of things and giving them their proper value.

  3. clear perception or recognition, especially of aesthetic quality.

    a course in art appreciation.

  4. an increase or rise in the value of property, goods, etc.

  5. critical notice; evaluation; opinion, as of a situation, person, etc.

  6. a critique or written evaluation, especially when favorable.


appreciation British  
/ -sɪ-, əˌpriːʃɪˈeɪʃən /

noun

  1. thanks or gratitude

  2. assessment of the true worth or value of persons or things

  3. perceptive recognition of qualities, as in art

  4. an increase in value, as of goods or property

  5. a written review of a book, etc, esp when favourable

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.

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Vocabulary lists containing appreciation

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.

CHALMER’S APPRECIATION: A year ago, Greg Chalmers was making travel plans for Panama to play on the Web.com Tour.

From Washington Times • Jan. 3, 2017

APPRECIATION: Susan Sontag, an intellectual lightning bolt 72 FILM: The Woodsman 73 TELEVISION: Unscripted offers a wry insider's look at show biz 74 TRAVEL: As Delta slashes its fares, will other big carriers follow?

From Time Magazine Archive

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