appraise, v.
(əˈpreɪz)
[Of rather late appearance; f. praise v., previously, and, for some time, contemporaneously, used in same sense. Perh. formed on analogy of the synonymous prize, apprize: see the latter.]
1. To fix a price for, assign a money value to: esp. as an official valuer or appraiser.
| [1383 Wyclif Matt. xxvii. 9 The pris of a man preysid, whom thei preysiden, of the sonys of Yrael. 1590 Swinburne Testaments 220 Others praise them among the moueables; but it were better to praise them seuerally.] |
| 1535 in Wood Lett. Illustr. Ladies (1852) II. 164 The stuff..was appraised by the appraisers. 1661 Pepys Diary 2 Oct., All this morning at Pegg Kite's..appraising her goods that her mother has left. 1762 Hume Hist. Eng. (1806) IV. lxii. 665 The cartoons..were only appraised at three hundred pounds. 1878 R. B. Smith Carthage 151 They [mercenaries] transferred their services..to those who would appraise them more highly. |
2. transf. To estimate the amount, quality, or excellence of. Also refl.
| 1841 Myers Cath. Th. iv. §40. 385 Rightly to appraise the value of various truths. 1864 Tennyson En. Ard. 154 The feeble infant..Whom Enoch took, and handled all his limbs, Appraised his weight. 1869 Arber James I's Ess. Introd. 4 The king's Sonnets and Poems..appraise themselves. |
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Add: [2.] b. To evaluate (an employee) formally in terms of progress, performance, etc.; to make an appraisal or assessment of. Also absol. Cf. *appraisal n. 2.
| 1955 Personnel Jan. 434/2 How can the ability to appraise be increased? Ibid. Mar. 432/2 Often men find themselves being appraised for development by one method and for rewards by a second. 1959 Appraisal of Job Performance: Stud. in Personnel Policy No. 121 (U.S. Nat. Industr. Conf. Board) 5/1 Here the slogan of one company is ‘Appraise to improve’. 1962 Johnson & Cassell Appraising Personnel i. 14 If the county agricultural agent is being appraised, the district agricultural supervisor..may act in the capacity of chairman of a committee. 1976 Harvard Business Rev. May–June 159/1 There was a great uneasiness among management theorists and managers when employees were appraised..on..personality, potential, and ambition instead of on results. 1977 Dun's Rev. Jan. 71/2 Some people have wondered, however, about the independence or objectivity of a board member who is hired, promoted, appraised and rewarded by existing management. 1988 Automotive News 15 Aug. 10/3, I appraised people working under me and was appraised by management over me. |