Informed or made aware of something, typically used in formal contexts. It means to give notice or tell someone about facts or a situation.
From French 'appris', past participle of 'apprendre' meaning 'to learn', ultimately from Latin 'apprehendere' meaning 'to grasp or understand'. Entered English in the 17th century with the sense of giving information or instruction to someone.
Despite looking like it should be related to 'appraise' (to evaluate), 'apprise' comes from a completely different root meaning 'to learn' - it's about transferring knowledge, not making judgments about value. The confusion between these words is so common that some dictionaries now accept 'appraise' as an alternative meaning.
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