appearance

appearance — noun

1. a time when a famous person, leader, or speaker shows up at an event so that the

1.nounB2
Definition

a time when a famous person, leader, or speaker shows up at an event so that the public can see or hear them.

Example

The president made a brief appearance at the school's anniversary ceremony.

make an appearance at [event]

Fans waited four hours outside the studio for Taylor's appearance on the morning show.

appearance on [TV show]

Common collocations
  • public appearance
  • guest appearance
  • brief appearance
  • make an appearance
Synonyms
  • visit

    broader; doesn't imply a public audience

  • showing

    informal; often for media events

Grammar Patterns

make an appearance

appearance at/on

Usage Note

Frequently used with 'make' (make an appearance) and with prepositions 'at' for events and 'on' for TV or radio shows. Distinguish from sense 3, which is about entertainers giving a performance, not just showing up.

Common Mistakes

The singer did an appearance at the awards.
The singer made an appearance at the awards.
the standard verb is 'make', not 'do'.

2. an occasion on which a person, often along with their lawyer, goes to a court of

2.noun
Definition

an occasion on which a person, often along with their lawyer, goes to a court of law as part of a legal case.

Example

Mr. Lin's first court appearance is scheduled for Monday morning at nine.

court appearance

The footballer faces a third appearance in court over the assault charges.

appearance in court

Common collocations
  • court appearance
  • appearance in court
  • enter an appearance
Synonyms
  • hearing

    the court session itself, not the act of attending

  • attendance

    more general; appearance is the legal-specific word

Grammar Patterns

court appearance

appearance in court

Usage Note

Legal-domain term. Often used with 'court' as a modifier or with the preposition 'in'. The fixed legal phrase 'enter an appearance' means a lawyer formally tells the court they represent someone.

3. a single time when a singer, actor, or other entertainer performs in front of an

3.nounB2
Definition

a single time when a singer, actor, or other entertainer performs in front of an audience, on stage or on screen.

Example

Hiroshi's first appearance on Broadway was in a small role at age twenty.

appearance on Broadway

The drummer's guest appearance with the orchestra surprised the whole audience.

guest appearance with [group]

Common collocations
  • guest appearance
  • stage appearance
  • first appearance
  • live appearance
Synonyms
  • performance

    focuses on what is performed; appearance focuses on the person being there

  • gig

    informal; mainly for musicians

Grammar Patterns

appearance in [show]

guest appearance

Usage Note

Distinguish from sense 1: this sense involves performing (singing, acting, playing music), while sense 1 is just being seen or speaking briefly. 'Guest appearance' is a common collocation for a one-time performance by someone who is not a regular cast member.

4. a short visit to a party, meeting, or other gathering, usually so that people se

4.noun
Definition

a short visit to a party, meeting, or other gathering, usually so that people see you were there.

Example

Ravi put in an appearance at the office party but slipped out after thirty minutes.

put in an appearance at [event]

The director only made a brief appearance at the team lunch before rushing back to a meeting.

brief appearance

Common collocations
  • put in an appearance
  • brief appearance
  • token appearance
Synonyms
  • visit

    broader; doesn't imply the visit is short or duty-bound

  • drop-in

    informal; emphasises being unannounced

Grammar Patterns

put in an appearance

make an appearance

Usage Note

Almost always used with 'put in' or 'make', and usually with adjectives like 'brief' or 'short'. Distinguish from sense 1: the focus here is on duty or politeness toward friends and colleagues, not on a public audience.

Common Mistakes

I put an appearance at the party.
I put in an appearance at the party.
the fixed phrase needs the preposition 'in'.

5. the way that a person or object looks from the outside — for example, their face

5.nounB1
Definition

the way that a person or object looks from the outside — for example, their face, hair, clothes, or shape — as noticed by other people.

Example

Quinn takes great pride in her appearance and always irons her uniform before school.

take pride in [one's] appearance

After the renovation, the appearance of the old library completely changed.

appearance of [thing]

Common collocations
  • physical appearance
  • personal appearance
  • outward appearance
  • youthful appearance
Synonyms
  • look

    more informal; often plural ('good looks') for people

  • looks

    plural; almost always used for a person's face and body

  • image

    the impression a person creates on purpose

Grammar Patterns

personal appearance

appearance of [noun]

Usage Note

Common collocations: 'physical appearance', 'personal appearance', 'outward appearance'. The most frequent sense for B1 learners. Distinguish from sense 6, which contrasts looks with reality.

Common Mistakes

She has a beautiful appearance face.
She has a beautiful face' or 'Her appearance is beautiful.
'appearance' covers the whole look, so don't add another body part after it.

6. the impression that someone or something gives, which may not match the truth of

6.noun
Definition

the impression that someone or something gives, which may not match the truth of the situation.

Example

The smiling family photo gave the appearance of a happy marriage, but the couple had already separated.

give the appearance of [noun]

Don't be fooled by appearances — the quiet boy is the smartest student in the class.

fixed phrase: don't be fooled by appearances

Common collocations
  • give the appearance of
  • outward appearance
  • deceptive appearance
Synonyms
  • impression

    what someone feels or thinks about something, even when wrong

  • facade

    stronger; implies a deliberate cover-up

  • semblance

    formal; often suggests only a partial likeness to the truth

Antonyms
  • reality

    what is actually true, not just what is shown

Grammar Patterns

give the appearance of

the appearance of [noun]

Usage Note

Often paired with verbs like 'give', 'have', 'avoid', or 'create' plus 'the appearance of [something]'. Distinguish from sense 5: sense 5 is neutral description of how something looks, while this sense always implies a contrast with what is actually true.

7. used in fixed phrases such as 'by all appearances' or 'to all appearances' to me

7.noun
Definition

used in fixed phrases such as 'by all appearances' or 'to all appearances' to mean 'as far as anyone can tell from looking', when you cannot be totally sure.

Example

By all appearances, the meeting went well, though the manager has not confirmed it yet.

by all appearances

To all appearances, Mr. Costa is a kind neighbour, but the police are now investigating him.

to all appearances

Common collocations
  • by all appearances
  • to all appearances
  • from all appearances
Synonyms
  • apparently

    more flexible; not stuck inside a fixed phrase

  • seemingly

    more formal; same hedging meaning

Grammar Patterns

by/from all appearances

to all appearances

Usage Note

Only used inside fixed phrases ('by/from/to all appearances'); cannot be replaced with a single word. Often acts as an adverbial at the start of the sentence. Distinguish from sense 6: this is a hedging expression, not a noun for the impression itself.

Common Mistakes

For all appearances, he is rich.
By all appearances, he is rich.
the standard prepositions are 'by', 'from' or 'to', not 'for'.

8. the moment something or someone arrives, comes into sight, or starts to exist wh

8.noun
Definition

the moment something or someone arrives, comes into sight, or starts to exist where it could not be seen before.

Example

The sudden appearance of a deer on the road forced Mei to brake hard.

sudden appearance of [noun]

Smartphones marked the appearance of a whole new way of staying in touch.

marks the appearance of [innovation]

Common collocations
  • sudden appearance
  • first appearance
  • the appearance of
Synonyms
  • arrival

    for people or vehicles reaching a place; less used for ideas or symptoms

  • emergence

    more formal; for things slowly becoming clear

  • onset

    for the start of illness or weather

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

the appearance of [noun]

first appearance

Usage Note

Often used with 'the' plus 'of' plus a noun phrase. Common modifiers include 'sudden', 'first', and 'unexpected'. Also covers a book or film coming out, as in example 5. Distinguish from sense 1: that sense is about a person showing themselves; this sense is about something becoming visible or starting to exist.

Idioms

keep up appearances

idiom

to keep behaving in a normal, cheerful way so that other people do not realise something is wrong.

After losing his job, Daniel kept up appearances by leaving the house in a suit every morning.

The Wang family kept up appearances at the New Year dinner, though their parents had been arguing for weeks.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/5

All four words describe how a person or thing is seen, but they sit at different levels of formality and focus. 'Appearance' is the most neutral and slightly formal word — fine in school essays, news, and everyday speech ('she takes pride in her appearance'). 'Look' is informal and more about a passing impression at one moment ('I like the new look of your hair'). 'Looks' (always plural) is reserved almost entirely for human attractiveness, especially of the face and body ('he relies on his good looks'). 'Image' is the picture someone or a brand chooses to project — it is shaped on purpose ('the company is rebuilding its image after the scandal'). So a haircut changes your look, an outfit changes your appearance, your face determines your looks, and a public-relations team manages your image.

appearance ↗look ↗looksimage ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • court appearance
  • guest appearance
  • personal appearance
  • physical appearance
  • first appearance

Adverbs

Phrases

  • make an appearance
  • put in an appearance
  • give the appearance of
  • to all appearances
  • keep up appearances

Prepositions

  • at (an event)
  • on (a show)
  • in (court)
  • of (something)

Etymology

LatinLate LatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishModern English

The word entered English from Old French 'apparance' in the late 14th century, originally meaning 'a visible state' or 'a show'. It traces back to Late Latin 'apparentia', built on the verb 'apparere' meaning 'to come into sight'. The legal sense (going to court) appeared in English by the 15th century, and the meaning of 'a public performance' grew out of theatre use in the 17th and 18th centuries. The modern split between neutral 'how something looks' and the contrast with reality ('mere appearances') developed naturally as the noun took on both factual and judgmental shades.