appreciable

adjective

ap·pre·cia·ble ə-ˈprē-shə-bəl

-ˈpri-sh(ē-)ə-bəl

: capable of being perceived or measured

no appreciable difference

appreciably

ə-ˈprē-shə-blē

-ˈpri-sh(ē-)ə-blē

adverb

Did you know?

Appreciable, like the verb appreciate, comes from the Late Latin verb appretiare ("to appraise" or "to put a price on"). It is one of several English adjectives that can be applied to something that can be detected, felt, or measured. Specifically, appreciable applies to what is highly noticeable or definitely measurable, whereas perceptible, which is often paired with barely or scarcely, applies to what can be discerned to a minimal extent. Sensible refers to something that is clearly perceived; a sensible difference in someone's expression is easily detected. Palpable applies to something that, if it doesn't have actual physical substance, is nevertheless quite noticeable via the senses ("a palpable chill in the air"). Tangible is used for something capable of being handled or grasped, either physically or mentally ("tangible evidence").

Choose the Right Synonym for appreciable

perceptible, sensible, palpable, tangible, appreciable, ponderable mean apprehensible as real or existent.

perceptible applies to what can be discerned by the senses often to a minimal extent.

a perceptible difference in sound to a careful listener

sensible applies to whatever is clearly apprehended through the senses or impresses itself strongly on the mind.

an abrupt, sensible drop in temperature

palpable applies either to what has physical substance or to what is obvious and unmistakable.

the tension in the air was almost palpable

tangible suggests what is capable of being handled or grasped both physically and mentally.

no tangible evidence of UFOs

appreciable applies to what is distinctly discernible by the senses or definitely measurable.

an appreciable increase in income

ponderable suggests having definitely measurable weight or importance.

exerted a ponderable influence on world events

Example Sentences

there doesn't seem to be any appreciable difference between this piece and that one

Recent Examples on the Web There is another appreciable wrinkle relating to the effectiveness of economic sanctions: There is some evidence that these sanctions cannot be effective right away.

Blaise Malley, The New Republic, 4 Nov. 2022 Michael Deutsch, an urban entomologist based on Long Island, doesn’t believe the change in hours will lead to any appreciable decrease in New York City’s rodent population.

Ray Sanchez, CNN, 18 Oct. 2022 Accelerating commonly used applications, improving the user experience, and ultimately giving time back to STEM students are very real, appreciable benefits that can help those students achieve their education goals, quicker and easier.

Marco Chiappetta, Forbes, 3 Oct. 2022 So far that choice screen doesn’t appear to have had an appreciable impact on the market share for Google Search in Europe.

Sam Schechner, WSJ, 14 Sep. 2022 But, to achieve appreciable cost savings, the drug pricing provisions would have to also contain a robust set of cost containment measures to partly offset the spending stipulated in any potential bill.

Joshua Cohen, Forbes, 2 June 2022 However, interventions for elephants at a scale that could make an appreciable difference are difficult, says Pope.

Nimi Princewill, CNN, 5 Oct. 2022 Vaughn speculated that much of Americans’ peculiar fascination with the British monarchy stems from the queen’s fulfillment of the ideal of an apolitical leader, particularly given polling data that shows an appreciable distrust of U.S. politicians.

Suzanne Schneider, The New Republic, 27 Sep. 2022 The outcome of this controversy would certainly affect the general public or some segment of it in an appreciable way.

Jack Greiner, The Enquirer, 25 July 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'appreciable.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.