appreciable

adjective

ap·​pre·​cia·​ble ə-ˈprē-shə-bəl  -ˈpri-sh(ē-)ə-bəl 

: capable of being perceived or measured

no appreciable difference

appreciably

ə-ˈprē-shə-blē 

-ˈpri-sh(ē-)ə-blē

adverb

Did you know?

If you assumed that appreciable means “able to be appreciated,” we see you and we appreciate you. You’ve got a good eye for word families: appreciable does indeed share an ancestor with appreciate. However, the former does not describe things that are worthy of gratitude or admiration for their value, but rather things that are noticeable or measurable, as in “an appreciable difference between the two shades of green.” Appreciable comes, via French, from the Late Latin verb appretiare (“to appraise” or “to put a price on”), and is one of several English adjectives that can be applied to something that can be detected, felt, or measured. When it comes to vocabulary, it’s hard to put a price on having an abundance of options.

Synonyms of appreciable

• distinguishable
• noticeable
• audible
• discernible
• perceptible
• detectable

Choose the Right Synonym for appreciable

perceptible, sensible, palpable, tangible, appreciable, ponderable mean apprehensible as real or existent.

perceptible applies to what can be discerned by the senses often to a minimal extent.

a perceptible difference in sound to a careful listener

sensible applies to whatever is clearly apprehended through the senses or impresses itself strongly on the mind.

an abrupt, sensible drop in temperature

palpable applies either to what has physical substance or to what is obvious and unmistakable.

the tension in the air was almost palpable

tangible suggests what is capable of being handled or grasped both physically and mentally.

no tangible evidence of UFOs

appreciable applies to what is distinctly discernible by the senses or definitely measurable.

an appreciable increase in income

ponderable suggests having definitely measurable weight or importance.

exerted a ponderable influence on world events

Examples of appreciable in a Sentence

there doesn't seem to be any appreciable difference between this piece and that one

Recent Examples on the Web

With the exceptions of Stowe and Radcliffe, few women writers receive any appreciable treatment in Fiedler’s book. —Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 1 June 2026

Even when the researchers controlled for performance (meaning there were no appreciable differences between groups), managers still rewarded men over women. —Adia Harvey Wingfield, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026

With an appreciable amount of land above sea level, erosion could deliver enough nutrients to the oceans to support a large amount of photosynthetic cyanobacteria. —Scott K. Johnson, ArsTechnica, 26 May 2026

And there’s always a hexagonal feature at about 78 degrees north latitude, not seen to vary in any appreciable way, surrounding the system. —Big Think, 15 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1775, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for appreciable

• inappreciable

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Kids Definition

appreciable

adjective

ap·​pre·​cia·​ble ə-ˈprē-shə-bəl  ə-ˈprish(-ē)-ə-bəl 

: large enough to be noticed or measured

no appreciable difference

appreciably

-blē 

adverb