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.

---

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

---

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

See Examples For:

appreciation appreciations

Both Davis and Neff grew up with an appreciation for food sitting around family tables in Texas and Colorado, respectively.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026

"As we considered this opportunity, it became clear that Amit and the consortium shared our long-term philosophy and appreciation for what makes Liverpool special."

From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026

Condo prices in D.C. haven’t appreciated over the last five years either, Levitch said, so as the number of listings go up and appreciation stalls, that creates a fragile environment for prices.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 12, 2026

There’s an earnestness in his appreciation of great literature that translates to his videos.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026

ASIAN-AMERICANS IN SOLIDARITY, it read, and he felt a burst of appreciation.

From "Anger Is a Gift" by Mark Oshiro

This intimate volume includes slices of memoir, critical essays and appreciations of other authors, among them Ross Macdonald, whose prose she finds “so elegant and rich as to drive any writer to fits of envy.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 21, 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

It’s the usual way of appreciations to speak of somebody in the past tense.

From Washington Post ● Apr. 24, 2023

Rossetti, D. G., appreciations of Blake, 12, 40, 185.

From William Blake A Study of His Life and Art Work by Irene Langridge

Related Words

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