1.  appearance(n = noun.attribute) visual aspect - outward or visible aspect of a person or thing;
Derived form verb appear₂

2.  appearance(n = noun.event) - the event of coming into sight;
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;
Derived form verb appear₇

4.  appearance(n = noun.cognition) - a mental representation; "I tried to describe his appearance to the police"
Derived form verb appear₁

5.  appearance(n = noun.act) - the act of appearing in public view; "it was Bernhardt's last appearance in America"; "the rookie made a brief appearance in the first period"
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; "that ceremony is just for show"; "they try to keep up appearances"

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]

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]

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]

6.  Probability; likelihood. [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.