[syn: appraisal, estimate, estimation]
3.  an expert estimation of the quality, quantity, and other characteristics of someone or something; 
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Appraisal \Ap*prais"al\, n. [See Appraise. Cf. Apprizal.]
   A valuation by an authorized person; an appraisement.
   [1913 Webster]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
appraisal
    n 1: the classification of someone or something with respect to
         its worth [syn: appraisal, assessment]
    2: a document appraising the value of something (as for
       insurance or taxation) [syn: appraisal, estimate,
       estimation]
    3: an expert estimation of the quality, quantity, and other
       characteristics of someone or something
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:
57 Moby Thesaurus words for "appraisal":
   analyzing, appraisement, appraising, appreciation, apprizal,
   approximation, assessing, assessment, assize, assizement,
   calculation, categorization, classification, computation,
   correction, determination, dual pricing, estimate, estimation,
   evaluating, evaluation, evaluative criticism, factoring, gauging,
   grouping, identification, instrumentation, judgment, measure,
   measurement, measuring, mensuration, metric system, opinion,
   price determination, pricing, quantification, quantization,
   ranking, rating, reckoning, sifting, sifting out, sorting,
   sorting out, stock, survey, surveying, telemetering, telemetry,
   triangulation, unit pricing, valuation, valuing, view, weighing,
   winnowing