appear
Americanverb (used without object)
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appears,
present (3rd person singular)
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appeared,
past participle, past
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appearing
present participle
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to come into sight; become visible.
A man suddenly appeared in the doorway.
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to have the appearance of being; seem; look.
to appear wise.
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to be obvious or easily perceived; be clear or made clear by evidence.
It appears to me that you are right.
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to come or be placed before the public; be published.
Her biography appeared last year.
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to perform publicly, as in a play, dance, etc..
He appeared as the king in the play.
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to attend or be present, especially to arrive late or stay but a short time.
He appeared at the party but left quickly.
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to come into being; be created, invented, or developed.
Speech appears in the child's first or second year.
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Law. to come formally, especially as a party or counsel, to a proceeding before a tribunal, authority, etc.
verb
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to come into sight or view
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(copula; may take an infinitive) to seem or look
the evidence appears to support you
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to be plain or clear, as after further evidence, etc
it appears you were correct after all
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to develop or come into being; occur
faults appeared during testing
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to become publicly available; be published
his biography appeared last month
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to perform or act
he has appeared in many London productions
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to be present in court before a magistrate or judge
he appeared on two charges of theft
Synonym Usage
See seem.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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appearsimple
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appearssimple
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have appearedperfect
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has appearedperfect
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am appearingprogressive
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are appearingprogressive
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is appearingprogressive
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have been appearingperfect progressive
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has been appearingperfect progressive
Past
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appearedsimple
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had appearedperfect
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was appearingprogressive
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were appearingprogressive
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had been appearingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of appear
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English ap(p)eren, from Anglo-French, Old French aper-, tonic stem of apare(i)r, apparoir, from Latin appārēre “to be seen, appear,” equivalent to ap- ap- 1 ( def. ) + pārēre “to be visible”
Explanation
If something appears, it comes into view. Rub a magic lamp and a genie will appear. If that's the case, she will grant you three wishes. Appear comes from the Latin apparere meaning "to appear, come in sight, make an appearance." Whether literally materializing or seeming to be true, the word appear is used to describe something coming into sight or presenting itself. The word can also be used to describe an actor appearing in a play. Julie Andrews appeared in the musical "Victor Victoria." When someone looks happy, he appears to be happy. When a detail seems true, it appears to be true.
Vocabulary lists containing appear
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Ceremony
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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:
“It does appear from the data the state recently released that some homes may not meet the cleanup goals and that additional work may be needed to ensure these homes meet the standard.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 6, 2026
He is due to appear via video link before Dungannon Magistrates' Court on 7 November.
From BBC ● Nov. 6, 2026
Ms. Krasny’s team has since unearthed many more and selected 417 to translate, some of which appear here for the first time.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026
Meanwhile, two of the solar system's most recognizable planets will appear unusually close together just before sunrise.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 6, 2026
I also don’t want to appear rude, either.
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
Skipp Townsend is a former gang member who for more than two decades has been the head of one of the city’s largest intervention programs and often addresses the media and appears alongside city leaders.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 6, 2026
“You can pretty much always reproduce their investment returns without liquidity reduction or poor tax features — not an issue for a qualified account, which this appears to be,” he said.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 6, 2026
While there may be some extra conditions placed on the data-center rollout in some U.S. states, the investment outlook still appears strong, he said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026
At least one warning made on Friday appears to have come by phone, not email.
From BBC ● Nov. 6, 2026
A box of tissues appears in front of me and I take one, two, a handful.
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
Pullins announced the development as she appeared before Stormont's Health Committee to answer questions about the trust's savings plans.
From BBC ● Nov. 6, 2026
But what if valuations are at their lowest in years, and at levels that had previously marked major market bottoms, even as fundamentals still appeared to be improving at a relatively fast rate?
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 6, 2026
He appeared before Benítez, then a district judge presiding over the Canadian’s extradition proceeding to the U.S.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2026
In a lengthy letter Thursday, Newsom appeared to be walking the public through his thought process and the discussions he said he has had on the issue.
From Barron's ● Nov. 5, 2026
It would be there, with the tar on the canvas drying and cracking, until great holes appeared and the currach wasted away.
From "Nory Ryan’s Song" by Patricia Reilly Giff
Objects appearing to our right are projected onto the left side of the retina, while objects on our left are projected onto the right.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 4, 2026
Clad in caps and jackets emblazoned with their respective national symbols, Lantratova and Lubinets, often appearing side-by-side, on Friday oversaw the local ceasefire in the Russia-occupied Ukrainian city of Oleshky.
From Barron's ● Nov. 3, 2026
Made entirely from woodcuts, these visually sumptuous objects are the subject of a show that looks at their incredibly short history, appearing for just three decades.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 1, 2026
Also on set but not appearing in the video was actor Margot Kidder, who had appeared in an episode the previous season.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 30, 2026
He blew into his mother’s room like a summer storm, appearing without any warning.
From "Ophie's Ghosts" by Justina Ireland
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
