assessed; assessing; assesses
1
: to determine the rate or amount of (something, such as a tax, charge, or fine)
2
a
: to impose (something, such as a tax) according to an established rate
b
: to subject to a tax, charge, or levy
Every homeowner will be assessed a tax according to the value of the property.
3
: to make an official valuation of (property) for the purposes of taxation
Their property is assessed at $200,000.
4
: to determine the importance, size, or value of
assess a problem
assess the damage
5
sports
: to charge (a player or team) with a foul or penalty
Examples of assess in a Sentence
Cornell graduate student James Tanner spent three years in the early 1940s slogging southern swamps and bayous to assess where and how the species could be saved. By his reckoning, no more than twenty-four ivory-bills remained in the entire Southeast.
—
John Terborgh, New York Review of Books, 26 Apr. 2007
When the training staff determined that Everett had no mobility below his neck, Cappuccino was waved onto the field. He performed a quick battery of tests to assess the severity of the injury, squeezing various parts of Everett's body and asking him to respond.
—Tim Layden, Sports Illustrated, 17 Dec. 2007
Tetlock found that his experts used a double standard: they were much tougher in assessing the validity of information that undercut their theory than they were in crediting information that supported it.
—Louis Menand, New Yorker, 5 Dec. 2005
Briefly, the way it works is this. Every time a hog is sold, the seller is assessed 40 cents per $100 of sale value to promote the consumption of pork.
—Warren R. Ross, UU World, Fall 2005
After the hurricane, officials assessed the town's need for aid.
We need to assess whether or not the system is working.
Damage to the boat was assessed at $5,000.
The company was assessed $12 million in fines for polluting the river.
John Terborgh, New York Review of Books, 26 Apr. 2007
When the training staff determined that Everett had no mobility below his neck, Cappuccino was waved onto the field. He performed a quick battery of tests to assess the severity of the injury, squeezing various parts of Everett's body and asking him to respond.
—Tim Layden, Sports Illustrated, 17 Dec. 2007
Tetlock found that his experts used a double standard: they were much tougher in assessing the validity of information that undercut their theory than they were in crediting information that supported it.
—Louis Menand, New Yorker, 5 Dec. 2005
Briefly, the way it works is this. Every time a hog is sold, the seller is assessed 40 cents per $100 of sale value to promote the consumption of pork.
—Warren R. Ross, UU World, Fall 2005
After the hurricane, officials assessed the town's need for aid.
We need to assess whether or not the system is working.
Damage to the boat was assessed at $5,000.
The company was assessed $12 million in fines for polluting the river.
Recent Examples on the Web
In a larger effort, Hoskin and colleagues recently assessed the habitat ranges of 55 eastern Australian frog species, including 25 affected by Bd.
—Martin J. Kernan, Discover Magazine, 16 Nov. 2024
If the challenge had been unsuccessful, the Sharks would have been assessed a delay-of-game penalty.
—Curtis Pashelka, The Mercury News, 10 Nov. 2024
Each endpoint can be assessed to sniff out weak points.
—PCMAG, 6 Nov. 2024
The most serious penalties were assessed to Bubba Wallace’s 23XI team, Ross Chastain’s team at Trackhouse Racing, and Austin Dillon’s team at Richard Childress Racing.
—Bruce Martin, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for assess 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Martin J. Kernan, Discover Magazine, 16 Nov. 2024
If the challenge had been unsuccessful, the Sharks would have been assessed a delay-of-game penalty.
—Curtis Pashelka, The Mercury News, 10 Nov. 2024
Each endpoint can be assessed to sniff out weak points.
—PCMAG, 6 Nov. 2024
The most serious penalties were assessed to Bubba Wallace’s 23XI team, Ross Chastain’s team at Trackhouse Racing, and Austin Dillon’s team at Richard Childress Racing.
—Bruce Martin, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for assess
Dictionary Entries Near assess
Cite this Entry
“Assess.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/assess. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
assess
verb
as·sess
ə-ˈses 
a-
1
: to set the rate or amount of
the jury assessed damages of $5000
2
: to set a value on (as property) for tax purposes
a house assessed at $263,000
3
: to put a tax or charge on
the city assessed all car owners $25
4
: to find out or decide the importance, size, or value of
assess the problem
Legal Definition
assess
transitive verb
as·sess
ə-ˈses
1
: to determine the rate or amount of (as a tax)
2
a
: to impose (as a tax) according to an established rate
b
: to subject to a tax, charge, or levy
each property owner was assessed an additional five dollars
3
: to make an official valuation of (property) for the purposes of taxation
assessment
noun
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share