apprise
1 Americanverb (used with object)
verb (used with object)
verb
Etymology
Origin of apprise
First recorded in 1685–95; from French appris “taught, informed,” past participle of apprendre; see apprehend
Explanation
To apprise someone about something is to fill them in, to give them the scoop. If someone in your immediate family wins the mega-bucks lottery, you want to be the first one to be apprised of that event! Don't confuse the verbs apprise and appraise. Appraise means to determine the value of something — either its quality or its monetary worth. Apprise, on the other hand, means to inform or make aware. This word has a rather formal, weighty tone. Presidents get apprised of foreign affairs, but you will most likely not get apprised of weather conditions or dinner plans.
Vocabulary lists containing apprise
ASVAB Word Knowledge
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Unit 1: Telling Details
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"An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" by Ambrose Bierce
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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:
The address is prescribed by the Constitution and calls for the president to apprise Congress about the state of the union.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 25, 2026
“We wanted to apprise incoming first-year students to be careful while embarking on their academic journey at Yale,” Hall told The Associated Press in a phone interview.
From Seattle Times ● Aug. 22, 2023
A multi-agency team is conducting the investigation, he said, adding that the team will apprise authorities when they are done with the probe.
From Reuters ● Dec. 9, 2022
“We’ve had very full argument on this. I know where I’m coming out, and I want to therefore apprise the parties of that,” he said Monday.
From Washington Post ● Feb. 15, 2022
Your job is a simple one: apprise Nicole’s teachers of her special needs.
From "Burning Blue" by Paul Griffin
Jaishankar said he "apprised Secretary Rubio of challenges that legitimate travellers face in respect of visa issuance".
From Barron's ● May 24, 2026
Each week, Slate’s Shirin Ali surfaces important, under-the-radar legal news and keeps you apprised of all that is going on with our Jurisprudence team.
From Slate ● Mar. 7, 2026
Or, “I am following the guidelines of the trust and keeping little Laura’s parents apprised of all actions. If you want to discuss it, you should ask them.”
From MarketWatch ● Jan. 16, 2026
The U.S. military was kept apprised of the operation, according to people involved in her escape.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 5, 2026
No record of the conversation exists, though Jefferson had already apprised Madison that he knew the Adamses well enough to expect “dispositions liberal and accommodating.”
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
His complaint alleges the government obtained the warrant in bad faith, and without apprising the magistrate judge of Lindell’s role in the Colorado case.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 21, 2022
The Post on Thursday appended to Heard’s op-ed an editor’s note apprising readers of this week’s developments.
From Washington Post ● Jun. 3, 2022
"We are calling people right now apprising them of the situation so they can make other plans," he said.
From Reuters ● Jul. 3, 2014
A relative of Mr. MacLeod’s who worked in McClelland & Stewart’s warehouse was charged with apprising him of novelistic developments.
From New York Times ● Apr. 24, 2014
My husband, as you know, received a telegram apprising him of the fact that a relative, who was dying, intended leaving him a large fortune, and required his immediate presence.
From Parlous Times A Novel of Modern Diplomacy by Wells, David Dwight
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.
