Definitions for appearance
əˈpɪər ənsap·pear·ance

Princeton's WordNet(1.91 / 11 votes)Rate this definition:

1. appearance, visual aspectnoun

   outward or visible aspect of a person or thing

2. appearancenoun

   the event of coming into sight

3. appearance, appearing, coming into courtnoun

   formal attendance (in court or at a hearing) of a party in an action

4. appearancenoun

   a mental representation

   "I tried to describe his appearance to the police"

5. appearancenoun

   the act of appearing in public view

   "the rookie made a brief appearance in the first period"; "it was Bernhardt's last appearance in America"

6. appearance, shownoun

   pretending that something is the case in order to make a good impression

   "they try to keep up appearances"; "that ceremony is just for show"

Wiktionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. appearancenoun

   Personal presence; look; aspect; mien.

   And now am come to see . . . It thy appearance answer loud report. Milton.

2. appearancenoun

   apparent likeness; external show; how something appears to others.

3. appearancenoun

   The coming into court of either of the parties; the being present in court; the coming into court of a party summoned in an action, either by himself or by his attorney, expressed by a formal entry by the proper officer to that effect; the act or proceeding by which a party proceeded against places himself before the court, and submits to its jurisdiction.

4. appearancenoun

   The act of appearing or coming into sight; the act of becoming visible to the eye.

   His sudden appearance surprised me.

5. appearancenoun

   A thing seen; a phenomenon; an apparition.

   There was a strange appearance in the sky.

6. appearancenoun

   The way something looks; personal presence

   Synonyms: aspect, mien

7. appearancenoun

   Apparent likeness; the way which something or someone appears to others.

   Some people say I'm shallow because I care so much about my appearance.

8. appearancenoun

   That which is not substance, essence, hypostasis; the outward reality as opposed to the underlying reality

   Catholicism teaches that the Eucharist, while remaining under the physical appearance of bread and wine, becomes really and truly the body and the blood of Christ.

9. appearancenoun

   The act of appearing in a particular place, or in society, a company, or any proceedings; a coming before the public in a particular character.

   A person makes his appearance as an historian, an artist, or an orator.

10. appearancenoun

    An instance of someone coming into a court of law to be part of a trial, either in person or represented by an attorney or such like; a court appearance

11. appearancenoun

    Chiefly used by nurses: the act of defecation by a patient.

    The patient had a small bowel obstruction and there was no appearance until after the obstruction resolved.

12. Etymology: Borrowed from Middle French apparence, from Latin apparentia, from appareo. Displaced native Middle English wlite ("appearance").

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Appearancenoun

   Etymology: from To appear.

   1. The act of coming into sight; as, they were surprised by the sudden appearance of the enemy.2. The thing seen; as, the remarkable appearances in the sky.3. Phœnomena; that quality of any thing which is visible.

   The advancing day of experimental knowledge discloseth such appearances, as will not lie even in any model extant. Joseph Glanvill, Scepsis Scientifica, Pref.

   4. Semblance; not reality.

   He encreased in estimation, whether by destiny, or whether by his virtues, or at least by his appearances of virtues. John Hayward.

   Heroic virtue did his actions guide,
   And he the substance not th’ appearance chose. Dryden.

   The hypocrite would not put on the appearance of virtue, if it was not the most proper means to gain love. Joseph Addison, Spectat.

   5. Outside; show.

   Under a fair and beautiful appearance there should ever be the real substance of good. John Rogers.

   6. Entry into a place or company.

   Do the same justice to one another, which will be done us hereafter by those, who shall make their appearance in the world, when this generation is no more. Joseph Addison, Freeholder, №. 35.

   7. Apparition; supernatural visibility.

   I think a person terrified with the imagination of spectres, more reasonable than one who thinks the appearance of spirits fabulous. Joseph Addison, Spectator, №. 110.

   8. Exhibition of the person to a court.

   I will not tarry; no, nor ever more
   Upon this business my appearance make
   In any of their courts. William Shakespeare, Henry VIII.

   9. Open circumstance of a case.

   Or grant her passion be sincere,
   How shall his innocence be clear?
   Appearances were all so strong,
   The world must think him in the wrong. Jonathan Swift.

   10. Presence; mien.

   Health, wealth, victory, and honour, are introduced; wisdom enters the last, and so captivates with her appearance, that he gives himself up to her. Joseph Addison, Guardian, №. 111.

   11. Probability; seeming; likelihood.

   There is that which hath no appearance, that this priest being utterly unacquainted with the true person, according to whose pattern he should shape his counterfeit, should think it possible for him to instruct his player. Francis Bacon, Henry VII.

Webster Dictionary(3.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. Appearancenoun

   the act of appearing or coming into sight; the act of becoming visible to the eye; as, his sudden appearance surprised me

2. Appearancenoun

   a thing seed; a phenomenon; a phase; an apparition; as, an appearance in the sky

3. Appearancenoun

   personal presence; exhibition of the person; look; aspect; mien

4. Appearancenoun

   semblance, or apparent likeness; external show. pl. Outward signs, or circumstances, fitted to make a particular impression or to determine the judgment as to the character of a person or a thing, an act or a state; as, appearances are against him

5. Appearancenoun

   the act of appearing in a particular place, or in society, a company, or any proceedings; a coming before the public in a particular character; as, a person makes his appearance as an historian, an artist, or an orator

6. Appearancenoun

   probability; likelihood

7. Appearancenoun

   the coming into court of either of the parties; the being present in court; the coming into court of a party summoned in an action, either by himself or by his attorney, expressed by a formal entry by the proper officer to that effect; the act or proceeding by which a party proceeded against places himself before the court, and submits to its jurisdiction

Freebase(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Appearance

   In law, appearance is the coming into court of either of the parties to a lawsuit, and/or the formal act by which a defendant submits himself to the jurisdiction of the court.

Dictionary of Nautical Terms(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. appearance

   The first making of a land-fall: formerly astronomically used for phenomenon and phase. The day of an officer's first joining a ship after his being appointed.

Matched Categories

1. • Arrival
   • Happening
   • Pretense
   • Representation

British National Corpus

1. Spoken Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'appearance' in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #1850

2. Nouns Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'appearance' in Nouns Frequency: #714

How to pronounce appearance?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say appearance in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of appearance in Chaldean Numerology is: 3

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of appearance in Pythagorean Numerology is: 8

Examples of appearance in a Sentence

1. Victor Hugo:

   So different are the colours of life, as we look forward to the future, or backward to the past and so different the opinions and sentiments which this contrariety of appearance naturally produces, that the conversation of the old and young ends generally with contempt or pity on either side.

2. Carey Mulligan:

   I feel it's important that criticism is constructive, i think it's important that we are looking at the right things when it comes to work, and we're looking at the art, and we're looking at the performance and the way that a film is made. And I don't think that goes to the appearance of an actor or your personal preference for what an actor does or doesn't look like, which it felt that that article did.

3. Jean Jacques Rousseau:

   Your first appearance, he said to me, is the gauge by which you will be measured; try to manage that you may go beyond yourself in after times, but beware of ever doing less.

4. Paula Donovan:

   At the very least, this irregular contract extension has the appearance of impropriety.

5. Jerome Powell:

   It's really not working now. We understand that, the appearance is obviously unacceptable.

Popularity rank by frequency of use