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
The tests for strength currently include VO2 max, lower-body power, and muscle mass; those for cognition include appraisals of executive function, processing speed, and memory.
—
Tad Friend, New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2025
The couple offers free appraisals of stamp collections that people can bring in when the shop is open.
—Lillian Ashworth, Oc Register, 1 Aug. 2025
The city has agreed to loan the value of the building, or $45.6 million as established by the developer’s appraisal, at a simple interest rate of 4%.
—Jennifer Van Grove, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 July 2025
But this class requires appraisals, environmental review and sometimes longer timelines to sell.
—Matt King, Forbes.com, 8 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for appraisal
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Tad Friend, New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2025
The couple offers free appraisals of stamp collections that people can bring in when the shop is open.
—Lillian Ashworth, Oc Register, 1 Aug. 2025
The city has agreed to loan the value of the building, or $45.6 million as established by the developer’s appraisal, at a simple interest rate of 4%.
—Jennifer Van Grove, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 July 2025
But this class requires appraisals, environmental review and sometimes longer timelines to sell.
—Matt King, Forbes.com, 8 July 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 21 Aug. 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
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