Work and business / B2

uh-PRAYZL/əˈpreɪzl/

An appraisal is a formal assessment of someone’s work: an annual appraisal, a performance appraisal. Review is everyday; evaluation is a close formal cousin. Appraise is the verb (appraise a teacher’s file; also value a house). In British workplaces, appraisal is the HR meeting, not a casual chat. In speech, the yearly review is enough. Do not use appraisal for marking a single essay — that is assessment or feedback.

Meaning

A formal assessment of someone’s work.

Examples

• “She has her annual appraisal next week.”
• “His appraisal noted excellent tutoring and a habit of missing the register deadline.”
• “Bring last term’s targets to the appraisal; the form will ask what changed.”

Good to know

Formal work assessment (often yearly). Verb: appraise. Everyday: review. HR tone. Contrast: marking one piece = feedback / assessment.

Near in meaning

review

Topics

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