apprise
C2Formal
Definition
Meaning
To inform or notify someone of something, typically in an official or formal manner.
To formally communicate information, news, a situation, or a change of circumstances, often to enable decision-making or awareness.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Always transitive; implies the provision of necessary or important information. Often found in formal or professional contexts. The object is the person being informed, and the information is typically introduced with 'of' or a clause.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No major differences in meaning or usage. 'Apprise' is slightly more common in British formal writing, while 'apprize' (a rare, archaic spelling with the same meaning) is not used in modern English.
Connotations
Connotes formality, responsibility, and the imparting of necessary or sometimes sensitive information in both varieties.
Frequency
Low frequency in both, but slightly higher in British formal registers.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
NP-V-NP-of-NP (I apprised him of the delay)NP-V-NP-that (She apprised us that the meeting was cancelled)Passive: NP-be-apprised-of-NP (The board was apprised of the risks)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Keep someone apprised”
- “Fully apprised of the situation”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Used to formally notify stakeholders, management, or clients of developments, risks, or decisions.
Academic
Rare. May appear in historical or legal texts regarding the communication of information.
Everyday
Very rare. Overly formal for casual conversation; 'tell' or 'let know' are used instead.
Technical
Used in legal, military, or corporate governance contexts for formal notifications (e.g., 'apprise the court of new evidence').
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The solicitor will apprise her client of the new evidence.
- Please keep me fully apprised of any developments.
American English
- The CEO was apprised of the merger talks.
- We need to apprise the committee of the budget shortfall.
adverb
British English
- N/A (No standard adverbial form in use)
American English
- N/A (No standard adverbial form in use)
adjective
British English
- The apprised party must respond within seven days.
- She was the best-apprised person in the room.
American English
- An apprised consumer makes better decisions.
- He entered the negotiation well-apprised.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The teacher will tell us about the test.
- The manager informed the team about the new schedule.
- The embassy notified all citizens of the updated travel advisory.
- The director was promptly apprised of the critical audit findings.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a PRIZE you must inform someone about. 'I must APPRISE my friend of the PRIZE he won.'
Conceptual Metaphor
INFORMATION IS A COMMODITY TO BE DELIVERED (to apprise someone is to deliver the 'package' of information).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'appreciate' (ценить) or 'appraise' (оценивать).
- The direct Russian equivalent 'информировать' is correct, but note the higher formality of 'apprise'.
- The preposition 'of' is essential: 'apprise someone OF something'.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'about' instead of 'of' (e.g., 'apprise him about the issue' – incorrect).
- Confusing spelling/meaning with 'appraise' (to assess value).
- Using in informal contexts where it sounds stilted.
Practice
Quiz
In which sentence is 'apprise' used correctly?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
'Apprise' is the most formal, often used in official or professional contexts where thorough briefing is implied. 'Inform' is general and neutral. 'Notify' often implies a formal or official announcement, sometimes written.
No, it is a low-frequency, formal word. In everyday speech, native speakers use 'tell', 'inform', or 'let know'.
The standard preposition is 'of', as in 'apprise someone of something'. Using 'about' is considered non-standard.
Yes, very commonly. E.g., 'The minister was apprised of the security breach.'