Ap*pre"ci*ate (&?;), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Appreciated; p. pr. & vb. n.
Appreciating.] [L. appretiatus, p. p. of appretiare to
value at a price, appraise; ad + pretiare to prize,
pretium price. Cf. Appraise.] 1. To set
a price or value on; to estimate justly; to value.
To appreciate the motives of their enemies.
Gibbon.
3. To raise the value of; to increase the market
price of; -- opposed to depreciate. [U.S.]
Lest a sudden peace should appreciate the money.
Ramsay.
4. To be sensible of; to distinguish.
To test the power of bees to appreciate color.
Lubbock.
Syn. -- To Appreciate, Estimate, Esteem.
Estimate is an act of judgment; esteem is an act of valuing
or prizing, and when applied to individuals, denotes a sentiment of moral
approbation. See Estimate. Appreciate lies between the two.
As compared with estimate, it supposes a union of sensibility with
judgment, producing a nice and delicate perception. As compared with
esteem, it denotes a valuation of things according to their
appropriate and distinctive excellence, and not simply their moral worth.
Thus, with reference to the former of these (delicate perception), an able
writer says. "Women have a truer appreciation of character than
men;" and another remarks, "It is difficult to appreciate the true
force and distinctive sense of terms which we are every day using." So,
also, we speak of the difference between two things, as sometimes hardly
appreciable. With reference to the latter of these (that of
valuation as the result of a nice perception), we say, "It requires a
peculiar cast of character to appreciate the poetry of Wordsworth;"
"He who has no delicacy himself, can not appreciate it in others;"
"The thought of death is salutary, because it leads us to appreciate
worldly things aright." Appreciate is much used in cases where
something is in danger of being overlooked or undervalued; as when we speak
of appreciating the difficulties of a subject, or the risk of an
undertaking. So Lord Plunket, referring to an "ominous silence" which
prevailed among the Irish peasantry, says, "If you knew how to
appreciate that silence, it is more formidable than the most
clamorous opposition." In like manner, a person who asks some favor of
another is apt to say, "I trust you will appreciate my motives in
this request." Here we have the key to a very frequent use of the word. It
is hardly necessary to say that appreciate looks on the favorable
side of things. we never speak of appreciating a man's faults, but
his merits. This idea of regarding things favorably appears more fully in
the word appreciative; as when we speak of an appreciative
audience, or an appreciative review, meaning one that manifests a
quick perception and a ready valuation of excellence.
Ap*pre"ci*ate, v. i. To rise in value.
[See note under Rise, v. i.] J.
Morse.
