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Anonymous Posted 19 years ago
Vocabulary

face value

Hello

Until recently I had been under the misapprehension that I know what face value means.

Then came a sentence:

Do not take promises at face value.

that I saw in a dictionary.

It says it is equal in meaning with

Do not take promises at apparent value.

Then a next question aroused in me. What is apparent here? What does apparent mean?

I think something that is apparent you perceive by cognition often in a mistaken manner. Am I correct?

But then going back to face value, does it mean someone says something convincingly and boldly, which makes you think he must be right?

What is your opinion about it?

Thanks
  

Top answer

Hi, Until recently I had been under the misapprehension that I know what face value means. Then came a sentence: Do not take promises at face value. that I saw in a dictionary.

— Clive

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6 Answers
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Hi,

Until recently I had been under the misapprehension that I know what face value means.

Then came a sentence:

Do not take promises at face value.

that I saw in a dictionary.

It says it is equal in mea
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I've never heard of
at apparent value
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Thank you Clive.

One more question, if you do not mind:

Let me take your questions at face value.

How should I read it, interpret it?

Thanks
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Let me accept their denotative meanings, not their connotations.
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Hello MM,

Is it a kind of comment we use to let the questioner know that we know he meant malice? Or is it free of any emotional overtone?

Thanks
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No, it does not necessarily carry any overtone-- it too can be taken at face value. It merely lets the questioner know that we are not reading anything into the question beyond what the question purports to ask.
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