appearance

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   The way that someone or something looks.

   She cares a lot about her appearance.

2. 2
   noun

   The act of coming into sight or arriving.

   His sudden appearance at the door surprised everyone.

3. 3
   noun

   An act of taking part in public, such as on stage or in a game.

   The singer made a brief appearance at the festival.

4. 4
   noun

   An outward impression that may not match the truth.

   They tried hard to keep up appearances after losing their money.

Borrowed from Middle French apparence, from Latin apparentia, from appareo. Morphologically appear + -ance. Doublet of apparence and apparency. Displaced native Old English hīew (“the way something looks or seems”) and ætīewednes (“act of appearing or coming into view”).

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