appreciation
Americannoun
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appreciations
plural
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gratitude; thankful recognition.
They showed their appreciation by giving him a gold watch.
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the act of estimating the qualities of things and giving them their proper value.
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clear perception or recognition, especially of aesthetic quality.
a course in art appreciation.
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an increase or rise in the value of property, goods, etc.
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critical notice; evaluation; opinion, as of a situation, person, etc.
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a critique or written evaluation, especially when favorable.
noun
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thanks or gratitude
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assessment of the true worth or value of persons or things
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perceptive recognition of qualities, as in art
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an increase in value, as of goods or property
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a written review of a book, etc, esp when favourable
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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nonappreciationnoun
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overappreciationnoun
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self-appreciationnoun
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superappreciationnoun
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unappreciationnoun
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appreciationaladjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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.
Vocabulary lists containing appreciation
The SAT: Words to Capture Tone, List 1
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The New SAT: Words to Capture Tone
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May Vocabulary Words
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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:
Corporate executives often get much of their pay in the form of stock or options, as a way to motivate and reward them for the stock’s appreciation.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 24, 2026
Wednesday’s fan appreciation stuff was a swell gesture, as a start.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 22, 2026
Our collaboration has brought us closer, too, forging newfound respect and trust, along with deepening our appreciation and love for each other.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 17, 2026
And investors buying Treasurys today could potentially collect 5%-plus income while also benefiting from capital appreciation if yields fall.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026
People would turn to stare, and a sigh, of envy or appreciation, would rustle through the assembly.
From "Ella Enchanted" by Gail Carson Levine
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
Stewart shunned all sendoffs and appreciations in his final season, something Harvick told the AP that Stewart now regrets.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 12, 2023
Amongst the most singular appreciations of "Faust" is that emitted by Blaze de Bury, who qualifies it as an "Italian" opera!
From Masters of French Music by Arthur Hervey
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
