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appearance

noun
ap·​pear·​ance | \ ə-ˈpir-ən(t)s How to pronounce appearance (audio) \

Definition of appearance

1a : external show : semblance Although hostile, he preserved an appearance of neutrality.
b : outward aspect : look had a fierce appearance
c appearances plural : outward indication trying to keep up appearances
2a : a sense impression or aspect of a thing The blue of distant hills is only an appearance.
b : the world of sensible phenomena
3a : the act, action, or process of appearing the first appearance of that word in English
b law : the presentation of oneself in court as a party to an action often through the representation of an attorney
4a : something that appears : phenomenon
b : an instance of appearing : occurrence her first public appearance since winning the award
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Synonyms for appearance

Synonyms

aspect, dress, figure, garb, look, mien, outside, presence, regard [archaic]

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Examples of appearance in a Sentence

The general appearance of the house is quite good. The museum restored the painting to its original appearance. lotions that improve your skin's appearance and texture You shouldn't judge a man by his appearance. Have you noticed any changes in her appearance? He appears to be happy, but appearances can be deceptive. Their expensive home created a false appearance of success and happiness.
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Recent Examples on the Web

 Due to the suspect’s age, the court appearance was not open to the public. — Sarah Horner, Twin Cities, "15-year-old charged in fatal shooting of 18-year-old on St. Paul’s Rice Street," 12 Sep. 2019 Both men advanced to scoring position on a wild pitch on the first offering of Matt Olson’s plate appearance. — Chandler Rome, Houston Chronicle, "Astros struggle against A's for second straight night," 11 Sep. 2019 Porter’s latest fashionable appearance was at The Blonds Spring 2020 runway show. — Ashley Rushford, Essence, "NYFW: Billy Porter Snatches Wigs With His Lady Marmalade Performance At The Blonds Fashion Show," 11 Sep. 2019 Trump’s appearance Monday emerged as a test of the Republican president’s pull with voters. — Jonathan Lemire, Fortune, "Trump Uses North Carolina Campaign Rally to Slam ‘American-Hating Left’," 10 Sep. 2019 Tuesday’s appearance in the seventh-place game of the eight-team tournament already was disappointing enough. — Jimmy Greenfield, chicagotribune.com, "Kirby Dach and Adam Boqvist are among 4 Blackhawks to suffer ‘minor’ injuries in their NHL Prospect Tournament finale," 10 Sep. 2019 The next appearance is September 23 at 6:30 p.m. at the Brunswick Library. — Terry Pluto, cleveland.com, "Cleveland Browns: Finding leaders, the big punter decision, the O-line -- Terry Pluto," 8 Sep. 2019 Senior politician Rosy Bindi’s appearance has been insulted (link in Italian) by a list of politicians, including Silvio Berlusconi. — Annalisa Merelli, Quartz, "Italy’s new agriculture minister is truly of the people—and she’s kryptonite for populists," 7 Sep. 2019 Mr Márquez’s gun-toting appearance is certain further to undermine public support for the deal. — The Economist, "Will Colombia return to war?," 5 Sep. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'appearance.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of appearance

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

History and Etymology for appearance

re-formation (after appear) of Middle English apparence, aparaunce, borrowed from Anglo-French apparaunce, apparence, borrowed from Late Latin appārentia, noun derivative of Latin appārent-, appārens, present participle of appārēre "to be visible, appear"

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More Definitions for appearance

appearance

noun
How to pronounce appearance (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of appearance

somewhat formal : the way that someone or something looks
: a way of looking that is not true or real
: the action of appearing : the fact that something or someone arrives or begins to be seen

See the full definition for appearance in the English Language Learners Dictionary

appearance

noun
ap·​pear·​ance | \ ə-ˈpir-əns How to pronounce appearance (audio) \

Kids Definition of appearance

1 : the way something looks The room has a cool appearance.
2 : the act or an instance of appearing His sudden appearance startled us.

appearance

noun
ap·​pear·​ance | \ ə-ˈpir-ən(t)s How to pronounce appearance (audio) \

Medical Definition of appearance

1 : the action or process of becoming evident to the senses the sudden appearance of a rash on the body
2 : the outward or visible aspect of something a tumor with a spongy appearance

Other Words from appearance

appear \ ə-​ˈpi(ə)r How to pronounce appear (audio) \ intransitive verb

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