appreciation

noun

ap·​pre·​ci·​a·​tion ə-ˌprē-shē-ˈā-shən How to pronounce appreciation (audio)
-ˌpri-
also -ˌprē-sē-
Synonyms of appreciation
1
a
: a feeling or expression of admiration, approval, or gratitude
I want to express my appreciation for all you've done.
a small token of our appreciation
b
: judgment, evaluation
especially : a favorable critical estimate
c
: sensitive awareness
especially : recognition of aesthetic values
a class in music appreciation
2
: increase in value

Synonyms of appreciation

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of appreciation in a Sentence

You've been so generous, and I'd like to show my appreciation by cooking a meal for you. She's shown little appreciation for the effort you've made. I'm not sure you have an appreciation of the complexity of the situation. I've gained an appreciation for the skills involved in the game.
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.
Still, other voters expressed appreciation for the deluge of White House assistance. — Christian Datoc, The Washington Examiner, 22 Oct. 2026 Wednesday’s fan appreciation stuff was a swell gesture, as a start. — Mirjam Swanson, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026 It may be meant to teach posture or independence, invite play, cultivate an appreciation of craft, or eventually become an heirloom. — Steven Weill, Architectural Digest, 22 Oct. 2026 That appreciation led to collaborations with Tim McGraw, Trace Adkins, Blake Shelton and Zac Brown, as well as a close friendship with the late Jimmy Buffett. — Pamela Bustios, Billboard, 22 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for appreciation

Word History

Etymology

see appreciate

First Known Use

1605, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Time Traveler
The first known use of appreciation was in 1605

Phrases Containing appreciation

Rhymes for appreciation

See All Rhymes for appreciation

Browse Nearby Words

appreciated surplus
appreciation
appreciative
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Appreciation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/appreciation. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of milieu

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

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

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

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
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
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All