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
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
Yzerman’s appraisal of the market is revealing, though.
—
Max Bultman, New York Times, 29 June 2025
Problem #2: Irrelevant Feedback Only 14% of employees believe their performance appraisal provides relevant and meaningful feedback, despite feedback being a cornerstone of leadership development curricula and an essential leadership skill.
—Mark Murphy, Forbes.com, 13 June 2025
This week’s agreement came after an extended appraisal process as the two companies struggled over Hulu’s actual value.
—Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2025
The burden of proof did not shift from the taxpayer and the appraisal was a qualified appraisal.
—Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes.com, 21 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for appraisal
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.
Max Bultman, New York Times, 29 June 2025
Problem #2: Irrelevant Feedback Only 14% of employees believe their performance appraisal provides relevant and meaningful feedback, despite feedback being a cornerstone of leadership development curricula and an essential leadership skill.
—Mark Murphy, Forbes.com, 13 June 2025
This week’s agreement came after an extended appraisal process as the two companies struggled over Hulu’s actual value.
—Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2025
The burden of proof did not shift from the taxpayer and the appraisal was a qualified appraisal.
—Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes.com, 21 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for appraisal
Cite this Entry
“Appraisal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/appraisal. Accessed 14 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share