What does appreciated mean?
Appreciated is the past tense and past participle of the verb 'appreciate', meaning to recognize the true worth, quality, or significance of a person, thing, or situation. It also commonly expresses gratitude: when we say our efforts were appreciated, we mean they were noticed and welcomed with thanks. A third important sense is financial — an asset that has appreciated has grown in value over time. The word derives from Latin roots relating to setting a price, so at its heart lies the idea of assigning genuine value. In modern usage, 'appreciated' frequently appears in polite formulas like 'your patience is much appreciated', making it one of the most familiar words of everyday courtesy. Its adjective use ('a much-appreciated gift') reinforces the sense of something warmly received. Whether describing gratitude, understanding, or rising prices, 'appreciated' consistently conveys positive recognition of worth.
Recognized the full worth or significance of; felt grateful for; increased in value.
"He appreciated the complexity of the problem more than anyone else on the team."
Valued, welcomed, or gratefully received.
"Any feedback you can offer would be appreciated."
The same Latin root that gave us 'appreciated' also gave us 'price' — to appreciate something literally means to set its price high.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of appreciated
Appreciated comes from the verb 'appreciate', which entered English in the early 17th century from Late Latin 'appretiare', meaning 'to appraise' or 'to set a price on', formed from 'ad-' (toward) and 'pretium' (price). The original English sense concerned estimating monetary value; the senses of valuing highly and feeling grateful developed later. It shares its root with 'appraise', 'praise', 'price', and 'precious', all tracing back to the Latin notion of value.
Related word forms
How appreciated is actually used
In everyday speech, 'appreciated' most often appears in expressions of gratitude such as 'much appreciated', which is common but slightly informal. When describing rising asset values, it belongs to financial register. The passive sense ('she felt appreciated') carries warm, positive connotation.
Easily confused with appreciated
'Appreciated' describes something that receives gratitude or recognition, while 'appreciative' describes a person who feels gratitude.