1.  appearance(n = noun.attribute) visual aspect - outward or visible aspect of a person or thing;
is a kind of quality
has particulars: agerasia, look, view, color, colour, complexion, effect, impression, linear perspective, perspective, phase, vanishing point, superficies, format, cast, form, shape, image, persona, color, colour, gloss, semblance, face, countenance, visage, hairiness, pilosity, hairlessness, beauty, ugliness, deformity, disfiguration, disfigurement, homeliness, plainness, blemish, defect, mar, discoloration, discolouration, stain, plainness, elaborateness, ornateness, decorativeness, etiolation, sleekness
Derived form verb appear₂

2.  appearance(n = noun.event) - the event of coming into sight;
is a kind of happening, natural event, occurrence, occurrent
has particulars: reappearance, manifestation, materialisation, materialization, manifestation, apparition
Antonym: disappearance
Derived form verb appear₂

3.  appearance(n = noun.act) appearing, coming into court - formal attendance (in court or at a hearing) of a party in an action;
is a kind of attendance, attending
Derived form verb appear₇

4.  appearance(n = noun.cognition) - a mental representation; "I tried to describe his appearance to the police"
is a kind of internal representation, mental representation, representation
has particulars: illusion, semblance, 3-d, 3d, three-d, front
Derived form verb appear₁

5.  appearance(n = noun.act) - the act of appearing in public view; "the rookie made a brief appearance in the first period"; "it was Bernhardt's last appearance in America"
is a kind of arrival
has particulars: apparition, emergence, emersion, reappearance, return
Antonym: disappearance
Derived form verb appear₆

6.  appearance(n = noun.act) show - pretending that something is the case in order to make a good impression; "they try to keep up appearances"; "that ceremony is just for show"
is a kind of feigning, pretence, pretending, pretense, simulation

1.  The act of appearing or coming into sight; the act of becoming visible to the eye; as, his sudden appearance surprised me. [1913 Webster]

2.  A thing seed; a phenomenon; a phase; an apparition; as, an appearance in the sky. [1913 Webster]

3.  Personal presence; exhibition of the person; look; aspect; mien. [1913 Webster]
"And now am come to see . . .
It thy appearance answer loud report." [1913 Webster]

4.  Semblance, or apparent likeness; external show. pl. Outward signs, or circumstances, fitted to make a particular impression or to determine the judgment as to the character of a person or a thing, an act or a state; as, appearances are against him. [1913 Webster]
" There was upon the tabernacle, as it were, the appearance of fire." [1913 Webster]
"For man looketh on the outward appearance." [1913 Webster]
"Judge not according to the appearance." [1913 Webster]

5.  The act of appearing in a particular place, or in society, a company, or any proceedings; a coming before the public in a particular character; as, a person makes his appearance as an historian, an artist, or an orator. [1913 Webster]
"Will he now retire,
After appearance, and again prolong
Our expectation?" [1913 Webster]

6.  Probability; likelihood. [1913 Webster]
"There is that which hath no appearance." [1913 Webster]

7.  The coming into court of either of the parties; the being present in court; the coming into court of a party summoned in an action, either by himself or by his attorney, expressed by a formal entry by the proper officer to that effect; the act or proceeding by which a party proceeded against places himself before the court, and submits to its jurisdiction. Burrill. Bouvier. Daniell. [1913 Webster]

appearance, n.
1 the act or an instance of appearing.
2 an outward form as perceived (whether correctly or not), esp. visually (has an appearance of prosperity; gives the appearance of trying hard).
3 a semblance.

Idiom:
keep up appearances maintain an impression or pretence of virtue, affluence, etc. make (or put in) an appearance be present, esp. briefly. to all appearances as far as can be seen; apparently.

Etymology:
ME f. OF aparance, -ence f. LL apparentia (as APPEAR, -ENCE)

N  extrinsicality, objectiveness, non ego, extraneousness, accident, appearance, phenomenon, derived from without, objective, extrinsic, extrinsical, extraneous, modal, adventitious, ascititious, adscititious, incidental, accidental, nonessential, contingent, fortuitous, implanted, ingrafted, inculcated, infused, outward, apparent, extrinsically.

N  visibility, perceptibility, conspicuousness, distinctness, conspicuity, conspicuousness, appearance, bassetting, exposure, manifestation, ocular proof, ocular evidence, ocular demonstration, field of view, periscopism, visible, perceptible, perceivable, discernible, apparent, in view, in full view, in sight, exposed to view, en vidence, unclouded, unobscured, in the foreground, obvious, plain, clear, distinct, definite, well defined, well marked, in focus, recognizable, palpable, autoptical, glaring, staring, conspicuous, stereoscopic, in bold, in strong relief, periscopic, panoramic, before one's eyes, under one's eyes, before one, +a vue d'oeil, in one's eye, oculis subjecta fidelibus, visibly, in sight of, before one's eyes, veluti in speculum.

N  appearance, phenomenon, sight, spectacle, show, premonstration, scene, species, view, coup d'oeil, lookout, outlook, prospect, vista, perspective, bird's-eye view, scenery, landscape, picture, tableau, display, exposure, mise en sc ne, rising of the curtain, phantasm, phantom, pageant, spectacle, peep-show, raree-show, gallanty-show, ombres chinoises, magic lantern, phantasmagoria, dissolving views, biograph, cinematograph, moving pictures, panorama, diorama, cosmorama, georama, coup de theatre, jeu de theatre, pageantry, insignia, aspect, angle, phase, phasis, seeming, shape, guise, look, complexion, color, image, mien, air, cast, carriage, port, demeanor, presence, expression, first blush, face of the thing, point of view, light, lineament feature trait lines, outline, outside, contour, face, countenance, physiognomy, visage, phiz, cast of countenance, profile, tournure, cut of one s jib, metoposcopy, outside, apparent, seeming, ostensible, on view, apparently, to all seeming, to all appearance, ostensibly, seemingly, as it seems, on the face of it, prima facie, at the first blush, at first sight, in the eyes of, to the eye, editio princeps.

first appearance, in spite of appearance