appreciable

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 19, 2024 is:

appreciable • \uh-PREE-shuh-bul\ • adjective

Appreciable describes things that can be perceived or measured.

// Researchers found that the temperature change made no appreciable difference in the chemical reaction.

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Examples:

“Digital transformations have made an appreciable impact on society. Whether it's conspicuous guidance or subtle suggestion, technology influences our everyday decisions.” — Glenn Harvey, Business Insider, 1 June 2024

Did you know?

If you assumed that appreciable means “able to be appreciated,” we see you and we appreciate you. You’ve got a good eye for word families: appreciable does indeed share an ancestor with appreciate. However, the former does not describe things that are worthy of gratitude or admiration for their value, but rather things that are noticeable or measurable, as in “an appreciable difference between the two shades of green.” Appreciable comes, via French, from the Late Latin verb appretiare (“to appraise” or “to put a price on”), and is one of several English adjectives that can be applied to something that can be detected, felt, or measured. When it comes to vocabulary, it’s hard to put a price on having an abundance of options.