appearance

noun

ap·​pear·​ance ə-ˈpir-ən(t)s How to pronounce appearance (audio)
Synonyms of appearance
1
a
: 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
2
a
: a sense impression or aspect of a thing
The blue of distant hills is only an appearance.
b
: the world of sensible phenomena
3
a
: 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
4
a
: something that appears : phenomenon
b
: an instance of appearing : occurrence
her first public appearance since winning the award

Synonyms of appearance

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

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.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Kim has played in 27 games this season and gone 5-for-73 in 82 plate appearances. — Chad Bishop, AJC.com, 5 July 2026 That equaled the program’s best record since achieving its only bowl appearance as an FBS member. — Tom Layberger, Forbes.com, 6 July 2026 At the height of the war, before an April ceasefire, Israel had targeted top leaders, in at least one case likely using their public appearance to fix their position. — Nasser Karimi, Fortune, 5 July 2026 At the Cannes Film Festival in May, the model Toni Garrn made a striking appearance in a blue-black bustier dress embroidered with small petals. — Amy Verner, Vogue, 6 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for appearance

Word History

Etymology

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"

First Known Use

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of appearance was in the 14th century

Phrases Containing appearance

Rhymes for appearance

See All Rhymes for appearance

Browse Nearby Words

appear
appearance
appearances to the contrary
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Appearance.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/appearance. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

appearance

noun
ap·​pear·​ance ə-ˈpir-ən(t)s How to pronounce appearance (audio)
1
: the way someone or something looks
the room has a cool appearance
gave every appearance of being healthy
keep up appearances
2
: the act, process, or an instance of appearing
3
: something that appears

Medical Definition

appearance

noun
ap·​pear·​ance ə-ˈpir-ən(t)s How to pronounce appearance (audio)
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
appear
ə-ˈpi(ə)r How to pronounce appearance (audio)
intransitive verb

Legal Definition

appearance

noun
ap·​pear·​ance
1
: the presentation of oneself in court as a party to or as an attorney for a party to a lawsuit
also : a document filed in court by an attorney declaring his or her representation of a party to a lawsuit see also general appearance, special appearance
2
: outward look
a lawyer should avoid the appearance of impropriety

More from Merriam-Webster on appearance

Nglish: Translation of appearance for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about appearance

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All