What does "appearance" mean?
Appearance: A thing seed; a phenomenon; a phase; an apparition; as, an appearance in the sky.
Additional senses
- 2.Personal presence; exhibition of the person; look; aspect; mien. And now am come to see . . . It thy appearance answer loud report. Milton.
- 3.Semblance, or apparent likeness; external show. pl. Outward signs, or circumstances, fitted to make a particular impression or to determine the judgment as to the character of a person or a thing, an act or a state; as, appearances are against him. There was upon the tabernacle, as it were, the appearance of fire. Num. ix.
- 4.For man looketh on the outward appearance. 1 Sam. xvi.
- 5.Judge not according to the appearance. John. vii.
- 6.5. The act of appearing in a particular place, or in society, a company, or any proceedings; a coming before the public in a particular character; as, a person makes his appearance as an historian, an artist, or an orator. Will he now retire, After appearance, and again prolong Our expectation Milton.
- 7.Probability; likelihood. [Obs.] There is that which hath no appearance. Bacon.
- 8.(Law) The coming into court of either of the parties; the being present in court; the coming into court of a party summoned in an action, either by himself or by his attorney, expressed by a formal entry by the proper officer to that effect; the act or proceeding by which a party proceeded against places himself before the court, and submits to its jurisdiction. Burrill. Bouvier. Daniell. To put in an appearance, to be present; to appear in person. -- To save appearances, to preserve a fair outward show.
Sources
- Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).
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- Published: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00 · Modified: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00