appreciate
verbCA, US, UK /əˈpɹiː.ʃi.eɪt/ · General-Australian /ˈəˈpɹiː.ʃi.æɪt/
Etymology Originated 1645–55; from Medieval Latin appreciātus (“valued or appraised”), later variant of Late Latin appretiātus (“appraised”), the perfect passive participle of appretiō (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from a(d) (“toward”) + preti(um) (“price”) + -ō (first conjugation verb-forming suffix). Cognate to French apprécier. Latin root also origin of English appraise, which has various Romance cognates; see also precious.
1
To be grateful or thankful for.
- I appreciate your efforts.
- We sincerely appreciate your help.
3 more examples
- Any aid will be warmly appreciated.
- I'd appreciate it so much if you'd keep me abreast of developments.
- Much as one appreciates the beauty of these woodlands, it was good to learn that some discreet tree-felling may open up the view still further.1958 July 23, R. K. Kirkland, “Into the Mountains on the Festiniog Railway”, in Railway Magazine, page 453:
2
To view as valuable.
- You must learn to appreciate time.
3
To be fully conscious of; understand; be aware of; detect.
- Near-synonyms: realize, grasp, acknowledge
- It is essential for the reader to appreciate how important this argument is.
4 more examples
- I appreciate that what I'm asking you to do is very difficult.
- In order then to test the power of bees to appreciate colour, I placed some honey on a slip of glass, and put the glass on coloured paper.1879, John Lubbock, 1st Baron Avebury, 4th Baronet, PC, DL, FRS, FRAI, Everett Mendelsohn (Donor), “Lecture I. On Flowers and Insects.”, in Scientific Lectures, 2nd edition, Macmillan and Company, published 1890, →LCCN, →OCLC, →OL, page 12:
- It is rather the person whose general knowledge is supposed to qualify him to appreciate expert testimony, and to judge between the experts from different fields, whose power is enhance.1949, F. A. Hayek, “The Intellectuals and Socialism”, in University of Chicago Law Review, volume 16, number 3, Chicago: University of Chicago, →DOI, page 419:
- Eve: You learn to appreciate the light by living in the dark.2012, BioWare, Mass Effect 3, Redwood City: Electronic Arts, →OCLC, PC, scene: Normandy SR-2:
4
To increase in value.
- The value of his portfolio appreciated by 80% over eight years.
- The sanguine, flattering themselves with the delusive hopes of a speedy termination of the war, were often induced to sell lest a sudden peace should appreciate the money, in which case it was supposed they would lose the present opportunity of selling to great advantage.1809, David Ramsay, M. D., James Akin (Engraver), “IV. Fiscal history, 1670–1808.”, in The History of South-Carolina, from Its First Settlement in 1670, to the Year 1808. In Two Volumes., volume 2, Charleston, South Carolina: David Longworth, published 1809, →OCLC, page 173:
1 more example
- Laughter may be generally classed under three heads,—forced, silly, or vulgar; but hers is the most sweet, real, spirituelle sound possible—it so appreciates the wit, which it increases as it catches—it speaks of spirits so fresh, so youthful!1831, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter XIX, in Romance and Reality. […], volume I, London: Henry Colburn and Richard Bentley, […], →OCLC, page 234:
- Derived terms
- appreciatable, appreciater, appreciator, apprecihate, disappreciate, misappreciate, much appreciated, reappreciate, underappreciate
- Related terms
- appraise, appreciation, appreciative, precious