Appearance

How to spell appearance

10 letters · 3 syllables

How to pronounce appearance

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does appearance mean?

1. nounThe way a person or thing looks to others; outward aspect or impression.
2. nounAn instance of becoming visible or of presenting oneself in public.

Appearance in a sentence

• The candidate worked hard to improve the appearance of his application.

• The author made a brief appearance at the bookshop signing.

• A fresh coat of paint changed the appearance of the entire hallway.

• His court appearance was scheduled for nine in the morning.

Where does appearance come from?

Language of origin: Latin

The word traces back to the Latin verb apparere, meaning 'to come into sight' or 'to become visible', which was built from ad- ('to') and parere ('to come forth' or 'to show'). Late Latin formed the noun apparentia for the state of being visible, and this passed into Old French as aparance before reaching English in the late 1300s. Early English use kept close to the literal idea of something showing itself, and only later broadened to cover the outward look or impression a person or object presents. The same parere root underlies the modern verb 'appear' and the related word 'apparent', which is a useful reminder that the spelling keeps the double 'p' from ap- plus pear. The ending settled as -ance rather than -ence, following the French form, and that choice is the detail that most often trips up writers today.

How the word is built

• ap- (form of ad-, meaning 'to')
• pear (from Latin parere, 'to come into view')
• -ance (noun-forming suffix)