What does reappraise mean?
Reappraise is a formal verb meaning to assess something again, usually because new information, changing conditions, or a previous evaluation warrants reconsideration. It often implies more than simply checking a result: the word suggests that an earlier judgment may be revised or interpreted differently. For example, a government may reappraise its policy after economic conditions change, while researchers may reappraise historical evidence in light of a new discovery. The term is especially common in financial reporting, politics, law, policy analysis, and academic writing. It is also a useful word when the process is more neutral than the stronger reevaluate, since it can refer either to a fresh appraisal or to a reconsideration of an earlier conclusion. Reappraisal is the related noun, while reappraised and reappraising are the usual inflected forms.
verbTo appraise or assess something again, especially in order to reconsider a previous judgment or decision. It can also mean to revise an evaluation in response to new information or changed circumstances.
- To assess or evaluate something again
- To reconsider a previous judgment, decision, or evaluation in light of new information or changed circumstances
"The committee reappraised the proposal after receiving new information about its costs."
"Investors reappraised the company’s outlook after the unexpected earnings report."
"A later study prompted historians to reappraise the causes of the crisis."
Reappraise captures the moment when a confident conclusion becomes a question: the facts have not necessarily changed, but our perspective on them has.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does reappraise come from?
Reappraise was formed by adding the prefix re-, meaning “again,” to appraise. The verb appraise comes through French from the Latin appretiare, a word associated with a price or value. The related English noun appraisal entered use in the early 19th century, while apprise, meaning to inform, developed through the same French and Latin tradition. The prefix re- is common in English for repeated actions and is not restricted to any single region.
Related word forms
How reappraise is actually used
The word is formal and commonly used in reports, assessments, discussions of policy, and academic or financial analysis. It often implies a deliberate revision of an earlier view rather than merely a quick repeat assessment.
Easily confused with reappraise
Appraise means to assess the value, quality, or significance of something, whereas reappraise means to do that assessment again or reconsider an earlier appraisal.