Definition of "Appearance"

The appearance definition isn’t as one might expect. The term itself is used in different ways, but they all are connected with perception or how something or someone is seen or perceived by another party. While appearance is also used to state the physical location, arrival, or presence of someone, for example, someone making an appearance by showing up in a particular place, the word is most often used from a philosophical perspective.

What is the Definition of Appearance?

The most well-grounded definition of appearance is the one that limits the term appearance into the physical. The act or fact of appearing is used to describe someone’s physical appearance in front of the eye and the mind of the public. This same meaning is often used as a term in legal practices for someone coming into a court proceeding.

However, going into the less grounded meanings and uses of the word, we get into the philosophical explanation. The term appearance, in philosophy, regards something or someone that seems to be based on the perception of a thing and not its objective reality. 

Through philosophy, the term appearance is used in contradiction with reality. From the cosmologies that governed Asia Minor to Plato, Kant, and Indian philosophy, there was a distinguishable difference between appearance and reality, the first not being a synonym of the other but, in a way, its opposite. The reason for that is that appearance is based on our perception of the truth, while the reality is based on facts and logic. Because of that, today’s usage of the term appearance is split. On the one hand, we have the physical appearance as presence; on the other, we have the manner, condition, state of appearance based on perception.

Some synonyms of the word appearance are air, aspect, arrival, coming, figure, look, manner, mien, presence, and pretense.

image of a real estate dictionary page

Have a question or comment?

We're here to help.

*** Your email address will remain confidential.
 

 

Popular Real Estate Terms

Deed of trust or mortgage in real estate in which the lender subordinates her loan to another lender whose priority is first if there is nonpayment by the borrower. ...

Buildings in England in the 16th and 17th century with strong foundations, supports, studs, and knees. In American architecture this originally building has been combined with the English ...

(1) Civil: Individual against whom a court action is brought by a plaintiff for restitution of property or satisfaction of a complaint. (2) Criminal: Individual accused of a crime such ...

Also called accounting or unadjusted rate of return. The return computed by dividing the anticipated future annual net income by the required investment in real estate. Sometimes the ...

Legislation in 13 states providing protection to people who rent their residences. The act deals with landlord-tenant contractual relationships and obligations. ...

When we talk about adverse environmental impacts, we always refer to the man-made negative impact on the environment. An adverse environmental impact can be defined as negative changes that ...

Association of people not treated as a corporation. Examples are a limited partnership and a group of cooperative owners. ...

Direct line of descent as from father to son. An example of a lineal hereditament would be passing of the title of real property by virtue of a will to the first-born son. ...

To approximate the worth or valuation of property To give an appraisal value estimate of property. Property value appraisals are never exact, and are at best approximations of actual ...

Popular Real Estate Questions