appraisal

noun

ap·​prais·​al ə-ˈprā-zəl How to pronounce appraisal (audio)
Synonyms of appraisal
: an act or instance of appraising something or someone
a damage appraisal
They gave us an honest appraisal of our chances.
especially : a valuation of property by the estimate of an authorized person
sought an appraisal of her jewelry
real estate appraisals

Synonyms of appraisal

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of appraisal in a Sentence

the appraisal of some jewelry I made a quick appraisal of the situation and decided to leave right away. The book is an excellent appraisal of the influences that have shaped our government.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The loan still has to clear credit review, reserve requirements, and an appraisal but the door that was closed is now open. — Karen Koehler, Miami Herald, 31 Aug. 2026 The owners were given third-party appraisals on each property and allowed to discuss the land acquisition over several months. — Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 26 Aug. 2026 The expansion features six skill slots, greater enemy variety, the return of loot grinding and appraisal, and a massive new map to explore. — Gabriel Zamora, PC Magazine, 26 Aug. 2026 Lehman, who has a staff of three but wrote the appraisals himself, can choose only a few major battles to fight in a short window. — Alex Nitkin, Chicago Tribune, 23 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for appraisal

Word History

Etymology

appraise + -al entry 1

First Known Use

1698, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of appraisal was in 1698

Phrases Containing appraisal

Rhymes for appraisal

See All Rhymes for appraisal

Browse Nearby Words

appr
appraisal
appraise
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Appraisal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/appraisal. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

appraisal

noun
ap·​prais·​al ə-ˈprā-zəl How to pronounce appraisal (audio)
: an act or instance of appraising

Legal Definition

appraisal

noun
ap·​prais·​al ə-ˈprā-zəl How to pronounce appraisal (audio)
: a valuation of property by the estimate of an authorized person: as
a
: the determination of the fair value of a corporation's stock by a judicial proceeding that a dissenting shareholder is usually entitled by statute to demand in a case of extraordinary corporate action (as a merger) see also dissent entry 1 sense 1
b
: the estimation of the value of real estate for the purpose of taxation, sale, or securing a mortgage
c
: the estimation of the value of damage done to property for the purpose of adjusting an insurance claim
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of dissonant

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All