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 of appraisal

• assessment
• evaluation
• appraisement

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

And Seligman is also ordering a new appraisal that will seek to determine the present-day value of the properties. —David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Mar. 2026

OpenAI’s models, fed with Better’s mortgage data, save time by simultaneously running parallel workflows on dozens of checkpoints, including appraisals, title reports, income, credit reports and other metrics, Garg said. —Hugh Son, CNBC, 5 Mar. 2026

Creating even one simple folder now with the date-of-death valuation, appraisal and sale receipts will save you both time and stress in the future. —Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 4 Mar. 2026

The county also divides properties into appraisal neighborhoods, which may not match how homeowners think about their communities. —Dante Motley, Austin American Statesman, 2 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

appraise + -al entry 1

First Known Use

1698, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing appraisal

• self-appraisal

Rhymes for appraisal

• hazel
• nasal
• phrasal
• intranasal
• reappraisal

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