apprise

verb — 4 senses

apprise

verb

US, UK /əˈpɹaɪz/

Etymology

PIE word *h₂éd Borrowed from French appris, apprise, the past participle form of apprendre (“to learn; to teach”), from Middle French apprendre, aprendre (“to learn”), from Old French aprendre, aprandre (“to learn; to educate, teach”), from Latin apprēndere, a variant of apprehendere, adprehendere, the present active infinitives of apprehendō, adprehendō (“to lay hold upon, grab, grasp, seize, take; to apprehend, arrest; to grasp with the mind, comprehend, understand; (Medieval Latin) to learn; to inform; to teach”), from ad- (prefix meaning ‘to; towards’) + prehendō (“to lay hold of, grab, grasp, seize, take; (figuratively, rare) of the mind: to apprehend, comprehend, grasp, seize”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *gʰed- (“to find; to hold; to seize, take”)). Doublet of apprehend.

1

To make (someone or oneself) aware of some information; to inform, to notify.

  • The ears apprise the brain of sound.
  • [I]n general, he reſolve to Govern vvell: And […] Throughly and rightly to appriſe himſelf of that Principle that is the Soul of the Government; […]1692 April 23 (Gregorian calendar), Henry, Earl of Warrington [i.e., Henry Booth, 1st Earl of Warrington], The Speech of the Right Honourable Henry Earl of Warrington, Lord Delamere, to the Grand Jury at Chester. April 13, 1692, London: […] Richard Baldwin, […], →OCLC, page 4:
4 more examples
  • As you have considered human nature in all its lights, you must be extremely well apprised, that there is a very close correspondence between the outward and the inward man; […]1712 November 3 (Gregorian calendar), [Richard Steele], “THURSDAY, October 24, 1712”, in The Spectator, number 518; republished in Alexander Chalmers, editor, The Spectator; a New Edition, […], volume VI, New York, N.Y.: D[aniel] Appleton & Company, 1853, →OCLC, page 12:
  • Thus far vve ſee hovv the learned Pagans might apprize themſelves from oral information of the particulars of our Saviour's hiſtory.a. 1720 (date written), Joseph Addison, “Section VI. Excellency of the Christian Institution.”, in The Evidences of the Christian Religion, […], London: […] J[acob] Tonson […], published 1730, →OCLC, subsection I, pages 46–47:
  • As ſhe is a mighty Letter-vvriter, I hope ſhe has had the Duty to apprize you of her Intrigue vvith the young Clergyman; […]1741, [Samuel Richardson], “Letter XXX”, in Pamela: Or, Virtue Rewarded. […], 3rd edition, volume I, London: […] C[harles] Rivington, […]; and J. Osborn, […], →OCLC, page 117:
  • […] Fox, he said, he knew would not have engaged in the management of the Parliament, had he been apprized that he (Bute) intended to retire, and it had been necessary to the King's affairs that Fox should carry them through the session.a. 1798 (date written), Horace Walpole, chapter XVII, in Denis Le Marchant, editor, Memoirs of the Reign of King George the Third. […], volume I, London: Richard Bentley […], published 1845, →OCLC, page 258:
2

Rare To formally impart (information) to someone; to advise, to notify.

  • P.S. Morlands have not yet written to my bankers apprizing the payment of your balances; pray desire them to do so.1817 October 23, Lord Byron, “Letter CCC. To Mr. Murray.”, in Thomas Moore, editor, Letters and Journals of Lord Byron: With Notices of His Life, […], volume II, London: John Murray, […], published 1830, →OCLC, page 151:
Derived terms
apprisal, reapprise, unapprised

apprise

verb
Etymology

From Middle English aprisen, apprisen (“to determine or estimate the value of (something), to appraise, evaluate; to regard (something) as important, valuable, or worthy, to esteem, prize; to praise or worship (God)”), and then either: * from Old French apriser, aprisier (“to appraise, evaluate”), from à (“to”) + prisier, preisier (“to attribute a value to, to appraise, value”) (from Latin pretiāre, the present active infinitive of pretiō (“(Late Latin) to consider valuable, hold in high regard, to esteem, prize, value; (Medieval Latin) to estimate the worth of, appraise, assess, value”), from pretium + -ō (suffix forming regular first-conjugation verbs)); or * from Old French à pris (“to (put a) price (on)”) (pris (“price; esteem, (positive) reputation”) is derived from Latin pretium). Pretium (“cost, price; value, worth”) is ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *per- (“before, in front; first”). The English word is a doublet of appraise, appreciate, praise, price, and prize.

1

Archaic Synonym of appraise (“to determine the value or worth of (something)”).

  • Theſe [people] muſt remember, hovv highly God apprizeth good purpoſes, and deſires, accepting, and revvarding them, vvhen they come to him, as if they came accompanied vvith the deeds themſelues.1614, Daniell Dyke [i.e., Daniel Dyke], “The Answering of the Obiection which the Deceitfull Heart of Man Might Gather out of the Former Doctrine of the Heartes Deceitfulnesse”, in I[eremiah] D[yke], editor, The Mystery of Selfe-deceiving. Or A Discourse and Discouery of the Deceitfulnesse of Mans Heart: […], London: […] Edward Griffin, for Ralph Mab, […], →OCLC, page 401:
  • [W]hosoever, at the proper worth, / Apprises worldly honour and repute, / Esteems it nobler to die honoured man / Beneath Mannaia, than live centuries / Disgraced in the eye o' the world.1869, Robert Browning, “VIII. Dominus Hyacinthus de Archangelis.”, in The Ring and the Book. […], volume III, London: Smith, Elder and Co., →OCLC, page 121, lines 667–671:
2

Archaic, Specifically To put a price on (something) for the purpose of sale; to appraise.

  • Infeftments are alſo extinct, vvhen the Superior adjudgeth or appriſeth from his Vaſſal; for thereby it vvas found, that the Property vvas Conſolidat vvith the Superiority,1681, James Dalrymple of Stair [i.e., James Dalrymple, 1st Viscount of Stair], “Extinction of Infeftments”, in The Institutions of the Law of Scotland, […], 1st part, Edinburgh: […] Heir of Andrew Anderson, […], →OCLC, page 416:
  • [T]he infeftment of annualrent, being jus sed ignobilius, becomes extinct, if the annualrenter thereupon do apprise the property, and be infeft: and therefore, whoever appriseth for any years of the annualrent, the infeftment thereof, unless it be taken away by satisfaction or redemption, extinguisheth the infeftment of annualrent, without distinction whether the apprising be led for any years belonging to the fiar, liferenter, or any other.1832, James, Viscount of Stair [i.e., James Dalrymple, 1st Viscount of Stair]; John S[hank] More, “Title V. Infeftments of Annualrent, where, of Poinding of the Ground, and of Pensions.”, in The Institutions of the Law of Scotland, […], new edition, volume I, Edinburgh: […] [James Walker] for Bell & Bradfute, →OCLC, page 387:
Derived terms
apprisable, appriser, apprizer, apprising, apprizing
Related terms
apprisement, apprizement

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.

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