appreciation

American  

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

noun

appreciations plural

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.

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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

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonappreciation
  noun
• overappreciation
  noun
• self-appreciation
  noun
• superappreciation
  noun
• unappreciation
  noun
• appreciational
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• appreciations
  plural

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.

Example Sentences

For investors looking for a less extreme version of the dividend growth strategy with more a generous payout, he recommends the $125 billion Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF, which also has plenty of tech.

From Barron's • May 13, 2026

In a video, Dr. Becky marks Employee Appreciation Week by bemoaning how uncelebrated parents’ wins often are.

From Slate • May 10, 2026

For those who really love popping the little buggers, you can say a word of thanks to the lucky inventors on Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day on the last Monday of January.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 4, 2026

"Appreciation of how good the food is goes a long way."

From BBC • Dec. 22, 2024

Earlier in the morning, one of the other Senior classes had gone into Room 12 expecting Music Appreciation with Miss Lucy.

From "Never Let Me Go" by Kazuo Ishiguro

Related Words

• admiration
• affection
• awareness
• commendation
• enjoyment
• esteem
• knowledge
• love
• perception
• realization
• recognition
• respect
• sensitivity
• sympathy
• understanding