appraisal

noun

ap·​prais·​al ə-ˈprā-zəl 

: 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

• appraisement
• assessment
• estimate
• estimation
• evaluation
• fix
• judgment
• judgement
• value judgment

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

Other appraisals are even more sobering, with some studies estimating that nearly 90 percent of some regions’ populations have fled since 2014. —Andrew Kosenko, Foreign Affairs, 5 Feb. 2025

Among other changes, the policy revisions require the city to perform an independent appraisal before proceeding with any acquisition — a step that was not taken before the city approved the lease-to-own deal for the Ash Street property. —Jeff McDonald, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Feb. 2025

In a different era, this would have been the sort of excoriating appraisal that a Cabinet nominee would spend a great deal of time trying to rebut. —Tess Owen, The New Yorker, 30 Jan. 2025

But it has been buoyed by strong reviews, including positive appraisals of the lead performance from Fernanda Torres, who was nominated for best actress. —Saba Hamedy, NBC News, 23 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

appraise + -al entry 1

First Known Use

1698, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing appraisal

• self-appraisal

Kids Definition

appraisal

noun

ap·​prais·​al ə-ˈprā-zəl 

: an act or instance of appraising

Legal Definition

appraisal

noun

ap·​prais·​al ə-ˈprā-zəl 

: 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