Appreciated

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Acknowledged or recognized with gratitude or positive regard ; increased in worth or value over time
2. Regarded with thankfulness or as having merit ; having risen in monetary or market value
3. Seen as valuable or praiseworthy by others ; having experienced a rise in price or financial value

Etymology: The verb "appreciate" rests on a simple idea of price. Its Latin ancestor, "appretiare", combined "ad" (toward) with "pretium" (price) to mean "to set a value on" or "to appraise." The sense of valuing goods stayed close to the surface for centuries, and English took the word in the mid-1600s, when it still meant putting a monetary figure on something. The sense of rising in value came first and the sense of gratitude came later. The meaning "to increase in worth over time" is the older English use, and it still appears in phrases about property or investments. The sense of recognizing someone's kindness or quality is a figurative extension, in which a person's merit is treated as something that deserves a fair price. "Appreciated" is simply the past tense and past participle of this verb, so it carries both meanings: something that has been valued, or something that has grown in worth. The sister word "appraise" comes from the same Latin root and kept the commercial flavour more plainly.

Synonyms: valued, cherished, treasured

Antonyms: disregarded, unappreciated, neglected