appear

ap|pear [ ə`pır ] verb ***

▸ 1 seem

▸ 2 begin to be seen

▸ 3 be on TV etc.

▸ 4 be in court

▸ 5 start to exist

▸ 6 be written/printed

1. ) linking verb to make other people think that you are something or feel something. Appear is a slightly more formal word than seem:

This job is not as easy as it first appeared.

Matt appears unaffected by all the media attention.

appear to do something: No one appeared to notice me.

it appears that: It appears that she has changed her mind.

there appears to be: There appears to be very little we can do about it.

appear to have done something: The building appears to have been used as a place of worship.

what appears to be: Gibbs was shot in what appears to be a gangland killing.

2. ) intransitive if someone or something appears somewhere, you begin to see them suddenly or for the first time:

Cracks began to appear in the ceiling.

One day a stranger appeared on my doorstep.

a ) to arrive somewhere:

As soon as she appears, we can get started.

3. ) intransitive to be on television or in a play, movie, concert, etc.:

She appeared on television with the President.

Tony is currently appearing in a Broadway musical.

4. ) intransitive to go to a court of law, committee, or similar institution, so that people can ask you questions and make decisions about what you say:

He is due to appear in court today.

appear before/in front of: Jackson will appear before a congressional committee to explain the budget package.

5. ) intransitive if something new or different appears, it starts to exist or to be known about for the first time:

Yet another rap group has appeared on the music scene.

a ) to become available for the first time:

This was when sushi began to appear on restaurant menus in New York.

the latest personal computer to appear on the market

6. ) intransitive to be written or printed somewhere:

Jane's name did not appear on the list.