appraisal

noun ap·prais·al \ ə-ˈprā-zəl \

|Updated on: 11 Aug 2018

Examples: appraisal in a Sentence

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

Unknown to some sellers who try to sell on their own, contingencies such as inspections or appraisals can jeopardize any deal if not handled right.

— desiree lira, miamiherald, "Buying a home is not like purchasing a plane ticket, and selling a property is not like selling a car," 25 June 2018
Then comes the inspection, appraisal and loan approval process, which sometimes results in renegotiated offers and canceled sales.

— paul davidson, USA TODAY, "Quick, make an offer!: 5 cities where homes sold fastest, and the 5 slowest," 7 June 2018
Then the real work starts: contracts, land surveys, house appraisals.

— christopher flavelle, Bloomberg.com, "America’s Last-Ditch Climate Strategy of Retreat Isn’t Going So Well," 2 May 2018
The company does aircraft acquisition, appraisal and repossession services.

— steve lord, Aurora Beacon-News, "Aurora approves two deals at airport," 30 Apr. 2018
Almost three-quarters of home sales nationwide that closed in January had some type of contingency, with a home inspection being the most popular one, followed by appraisal and financing provisions.

— an uong, BostonGlobe.com, "How risky is it to skip the home inspection?," 19 Apr. 2018
All six of the wells drilled this winter — three exploration and three appraisal — encountered oil, ConocoPhillips said.

— alex demarban, Anchorage Daily News, "ConocoPhillips announces new oil discoveries after big exploration season in Alaska," 16 Apr. 2018
Just take a photo of each valuable object, then attach notes to the image, including its original cost, relevant serial numbers, and even appraisals.

— kim komando, Fox News, "5 incredibly useful tools for your digital spring cleaning," 7 Apr. 2018
The appraisal was for $185,000, so Ms. Lopez proposed meeting halfway.

— New York Times, "Finding a Studio Without Paying a Queens Ransom," 14 June 2018

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

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

appraisal Synonyms

Synonyms

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

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