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American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

ap·pre·ci·ate       (ə-prē'shē-āt')  Pronunciation Key  v.   ap·pre·ci·at·ed, ap·pre·ci·at·ing, ap·pre·ci·ates v.   tr. To recognize the quality, significance, or magnitude of: appreciated their freedom. To be fully aware of or sensitive to; realize: I appreciate your problems. To be thankful or show gratitude for: I really appreciate your help. To admire greatly; value. To raise in value or price, especially over time. v.   intr. To increase in value or price, especially over time. [Late Latin appretiāre, appretiāt-, to appraise; see appraise.] ap·pre'ci·a'tor n., ap·pre'cia·to'ry (-shə-tôr'ē, -tōr'ē) adj. Synonyms: These verbs mean to have a highly favorable opinion of someone or something. Appreciate applies especially to high regard based on critical assessment, comparison, and judgment: As immigrants, they appreciated their newfound freedom. Value implies high regard for the importance or worth of the object: "In principle, the modern university values . . . the free exchange of ideas . . ." (Eloise Salholz). Prize often suggests pride of possession: "the nonchalance prized by teen-agers" (Elaine Louie). Esteem implies respect: "If he had never esteemed my opinion before, he would have thought highly of me then" (Jane Austen). Treasure and cherish stress solicitous care and affectionate regard: We treasure our freedom. "They seek out the Salish Indian woman . . . to learn the traditions she cherishes" (Tamara Jones).

Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
appreciate 

WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This

appreciate
verb
1.	recognize with gratitude; be grateful for
2.	be fully aware of; realize fully; "Do you appreciate the full meaning of this letter?"
3.	hold dear; "I prize these old photographs" [syn: prize]
4.	gain in value; "The yen appreciated again!" [ant: depreciate]
5.	increase the value of; "The Germans want to appreciate the Deutsche Mark" [ant: depreciate]

Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law - Cite This Source - Share This
Main Entry: ap·pre·ci·ate
Pronunciation: &-'prE-shE-"At, -'pri-, -sE-
Function: verb
Inflected Forms: -at·ed;-at·ing
transitive verb 1 : to judge or understand the significance of <incapable of appreciating the difference between right and wrong —B. N.Cardozo>
2 : to raise the market value of —compare DEPRECIATE intransitive verb : to rise inmarket value —ap·pre·ci·a·tion /&-"prE-shE-'A-sh&n, -"pri-, -sE-/ noun

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Appreciate

Ap*praise"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Appraised; p. pr. & vb. n. Appraising.] [Pref. ad- + praise. See Praise, Price, Apprize, Appreciate.]

1. To set a value; to estimate the worth of, particularly by persons appointed for the purpose; as, to appraise goods and chattels.

2. To estimate; to conjecture.

Enoch . . . appraised his weight. --Tennyson.

3. To praise; to commend. [Obs.] --R. Browning.

Appraised the Lycian custom. --Tennyson.

Note: In the United States, this word is often pronounced, and sometimes written, apprize.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Appreciate

Ap*pre"ci*ate\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Appreciated; p. pr. & vb. n. Appreciating.] [L. appretiatus, p. p. of appretiare to value at a price, appraise; ad + pretiare to prize, pretium price. Cf. Appraise.]

1. To set a price or value on; to estimate justly; to value.

To appreciate the motives of their enemies. --Gibbon.

3. To raise the value of; to increase the market price of; -- opposed to depreciate. [U.S.]

Lest a sudden peace should appreciate the money. --Ramsay.

4. To be sensible of; to distinguish.

To test the power of bees to appreciate color. --Lubbock.

Syn: To Appreciate, Estimate, Esteem.

Usage: Estimate is an act of judgment; esteem is an act of valuing or prizing, and when applied to individuals, denotes a sentiment of moral approbation. See Estimate. Appreciate lies between the two. As compared with estimate, it supposes a union of sensibility with judgment, producing a nice and delicate perception. As compared with esteem, it denotes a valuation of things according to their appropriate and distinctive excellence, and not simply their moral worth. Thus, with reference to the former of these (delicate perception), an able writer says. "Women have a truer appreciation of character than men;" and another remarks, "It is difficult to appreciate the true force and distinctive sense of terms which we are every day using." So, also, we speak of the difference between two things, as sometimes hardly appreciable. With reference to the latter of these (that of valuation as the result of a nice perception), we say, "It requires a peculiar cast of character to appreciate the poetry of Wordsworth;" "He who has no delicacy himself, can not appreciate it in others;" "The thought of death is salutary, because it leads us to appreciate worldly things aright." Appreciate is much used in cases where something is in danger of being overlooked or undervalued; as when we speak of appreciating the difficulties of a subject, or the risk of an undertaking. So Lord Plunket, referring to an "ominous silence" which prevailed among the Irish peasantry, says, "If you knew how to appreciate that silence, it is more formidable than the most clamorous opposition." In like manner, a person who asks some favor of another is apt to say, "I trust you will appreciate my motives in this request." Here we have the key to a very frequent use of the word. It is hardly necessary to say that appreciate looks on the favorable side of things. we never speak of appreciating a man's faults, but his merits. This idea of regarding things favorably appears more fully in the word appreciative; as when we speak of an appreciative audience, or an appreciative review, meaning one that manifests a quick perception and a ready valuation of excellence.