appraisal

noun ap·prais·al \ ə-ˈprā-zəl \

Updated on: 13 Oct 2017

Definition 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

See appraisal defined for English-language learners

See appraisal defined for kids

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 of appraisal from the Web

However, regardless of Newcastle's disciplinary issues, Crooks ended his appraisal of Newcastle by focusing on the quality of Ritchie that afternoon.

— SI.com, "BBC Pundit Garth Crooks Slates Newcastle's Shelvey and Mitrovic Suggesting They 'Can't Be Trusted'," 29 Aug. 2017
The property is valued at $568,000 based on the average of two appraisals, Irak said.

— carrie napoleon, Post-Tribune, "Commissioners weigh offers for county land in Crown Point," 17 Aug. 2017
Lorne Hammond, a curator at the museum, said Lennon's ticket to ride has a $5.2 million appraisal value.

— david kravets, Ars Technica, "So may I introduce to you John Lennon’s “Psychedelic Rolls”," 6 Aug. 2017
The best outfits employ staffers with appraisal skills who can tell whether Uncle Bob’s wingback chair is a valuable antique and determine if those family diamonds are really cubic zirconia.

— jennifer barger, The Seattle Times, "Downsizing, divorce, death: What to do when you need to put on an estate sale," 28 July 2017
Owned by Polmer Brothers, Ltd., the property is valued at $9 million, according to an appraisal last month.

— mark schleifstein, NOLA.com, "Coastal authority views St. Bernard issues in monthly meeting," 19 July 2017
An initial medical screening conducted by the booking officer is followed with an appraisal by qualified health-care personnel within 14 days of intake.

— hannah leone, chicagotribune.com, "LaSalle jail suicide highlights complexity of screening inmates for mental illness," 18 July 2017
Thanks to the medium's problem with keeping old games in circulation, not a lot of games get such a strong chance for re-appraisal.

— joshua rivera, GQ, "Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age," 14 July 2017
Coin dealers will be available for free informal appraisals, and ANACS-America’s Oldest Coin Authentication and Grading Service will be on-site to take certification submissions of rare coins, medals and tokens.

— carolina gusman, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Flip this: Coin lovers to gather at Scottish Rite Center," 5 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'appraisal.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of appraisal

see appraise

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1795

See Words from the same year

appraisal Synonyms

Synonyms

estimation, appraisement, assessment, estimate, evaluation, fix, judgment (or judgement), value judgment

Related Words

aperçu, feeling, impression, notion, perception; confidence, faith, stock, trust; belief, conviction, mind, persuasion, sentiment, view; conjecture, guess, hunch, hypothesis, surmise, theory

Other Economics Terms

actuary, compound interest, globalization, indemnity, portfolio, rentier, stagflation, usurer

Financial Definition of APPRAISAL

appraisal

noun

What It Is

An appraisal is an estimate of the market value of an item by a certified professional.

How It Works

The definition of appraisal on InvestingAnswers Appraisals can be assigned to nearly any item, including real estate. Appraisals are conducted by individuals called appraisers. Appraisers are educated in a variety of market valuation methods and are recognized by a regulatory authority as being capable of issuing an accurate valuation. For instance, an appraisal on an antique will take into account such variables as age, condition, origin, and availability of authenticating documentation.

Why It Matters

Property appraisals are done primarily for taxation and insurance purposes, but may also serve as the basis for an asking price should the owner of a piece of property wish to sell. Appraisals are also valuable for business purposes, as many takeovers are based on a fair valuation of the company’s assets.

Source: Investing Answers

APPRAISAL Defined for English Language Learners

appraisal

noun

Definition of appraisal for English Language Learners

: the act of judging the value, condition, or importance of something : the act of appraising something
: something that states an opinion about the value, condition, or importance of something

APPRAISAL Defined for Kids

appraisal

noun ap·prais·al \ ə-ˈprā-zəl \

Definition of appraisal for Students

:an act or instance of setting a value on

appraisal of the property

Law Dictionary

appraisal

noun ap·prais·al \ ə-ˈprā-zəl \

legal Definition of appraisal

: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 ¹dissent 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