appraise

verb ap·praise \ə-ˈprāz\

: to say how much something is worth after you have carefully examined it : to give an official opinion about the value of (something)

: to give your opinion about the condition, quality, or importance of (something or someone that you have studied or examined)

ap·praisedap·prais·ing

Full Definition of APPRAISE

transitive verb

: to set a value on : estimate the amount of <appraise the damage>

: to evaluate the worth, significance, or status of; especially : to give an expert judgment of the value or merit of <appraise an actor's career>

— ap·prais·ee \ə-ˌprā-ˈzē\ noun

— ap·praise·ment \-ˈprāz-mənt\ noun

— ap·prais·er noun

— ap·prais·ing·ly \-ˈprā-ziŋ-lē\ adverb

— ap·prais·ive \-ˈprā-ziv\ adjective

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Origin of APPRAISE

Middle English appraysen, probably from Anglo-French *appreiser, from a- (from Latin ad-) + preiser to prize, praise

First Known Use: 15th century

Related to APPRAISE

Synonyms: estimate, assess, evaluate, guesstimate, rate, set, valuate, value

Synonym Discussion of APPRAISE

estimate, appraise, evaluate, value, rate, assess mean to judge something with respect to its worth or significance. estimate implies a judgment, considered or casual, that precedes or takes the place of actual measuring or counting or testing out <estimated the crowd at two hundred>. appraise commonly implies the fixing by an expert of the monetary worth of a thing, but it may be used of any critical judgment <having their house appraised>. evaluate suggests an attempt to determine relative or intrinsic worth in terms other than monetary <evaluate a student's work>. value equals appraise but without implying expertness of judgment <a watercolor valued by the donor at $500>. rate adds to estimate the notion of placing a thing according to a scale of values <a highly rated restaurant>. assess implies a critical appraisal for the purpose of understanding or interpreting, or as a guide in taking action <officials are trying to assess the damage>.