# appear

/əˈpɪɹ/ (US) · /ɐpˈiə/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/appear
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. to become visible

verb · CEFR A2

to start to be seen or to come into sight.

For teachers: to come into sight or become visible to the eye. Intransitive — does not take a direct object.

- A small boat slowly appeared on the horizon as the fog cleared.
- Cracks began to appear in the building's foundation after the heavy rains, causing concern among the residents.

### 2. to seem

verb · CEFR B1

to give the impression of being something.

For teachers: to give the impression of being or doing something; functions as a copular verb.

- The new student appears to be very shy and quiet.
- The results appear to be consistent with our initial hypothesis, though further testing is required to confirm the trend.

### 3. to perform or be published

verb · CEFR B1

to be seen in a film, play, or book.

For teachers: to come before the public in a performance, publication, or broadcast.

- She has appeared in several popular television shows this year.
- The author's latest essay will appear in the next issue of the literary journal.

### 4. legal presence

verb · CEFR C1 · Formal

to go to a court of law to answer a charge or give evidence.

For teachers: to present oneself formally before an authority or tribunal, especially as a party to a legal case.

- The witness was ordered to appear in court on Tuesday morning.
- The defendant failed to appear before the magistrate, resulting in an immediate warrant for his arrest.

## Examples

- A small boat began to appear on the horizon.
- The actor will appear on stage for the first time since his long break from the theater.
- Although the data appear to support the initial hypothesis, several researchers have pointed out that the sample size is too small to be conclusive.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.