Appraising

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /əˈpɹeɪzɪŋ/

Definitions

1. Determining the value or importance of an object or idea is a critical process in various contexts
2. Conducting a careful assessment of the significance or worth of a person, item, or situation involves various analytical skills
3. Examining something carefully to determine its value or significance

Etymology: "Appraising" is the present participle of "appraise," and the verb traces back to a Latin word for price. Its ancestor was the Late Latin "appretiare," built from "ad-" (meaning "to") and "pretium," meaning "price" or "value." That same "pretium" gave English "precious," a word that once meant something closer to "costly" than "rare and beloved." The verb passed through Old French as "aprisier," meaning to set a price on something, and reached Middle English as "apreisen." Its sense stayed close to its commercial roots: to fix the value of goods or property, which is still the core of the word today. Its French descendant "apprécier" travelled a different path, and "appreciate" is a doublet of "appraise," the two words sharing a source while taking on different meanings in English.

Synonyms: evaluating, assessing