assess

verb

as·​sess ə-ˈses How to pronounce assess (audio)
a-
assessed; assessing; assesses
Synonyms of assessnext

transitive verb

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

Synonyms

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Choose the Right Synonym for assess

estimate, appraise, evaluate, value, rate, assess mean to judge something with respect to its worth or significance.

estimate implies a judgment, considered or casual, that precedes or takes the place of actual measuring or counting or testing out.

estimated the crowd at two hundred

appraise commonly implies the fixing by an expert of the monetary worth of a thing, but it may be used of any critical judgment.

having their house appraised

evaluate suggests an attempt to determine relative or intrinsic worth in terms other than monetary.

evaluate a student's work

value equals appraise but without implying expertness of judgment.

a watercolor valued by the donor at $500

rate adds to estimate the notion of placing a thing according to a scale of values.

a highly rated restaurant

assess implies a critical appraisal for the purpose of understanding or interpreting, or as a guide in taking action.

officials are trying to assess the damage

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
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Briony is there to assess how much Jamie understands about the nature and consequences of this crime — and, like Bascombe, to try to make sense of what seems so completely senseless. — Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 11 Mar. 2025 And the security implications of widespread adoption of agentic AI in finance need to be properly assessed and managed, too. — Bernard Marr, Forbes, 11 Mar. 2025 Experts stress that oil spill modeling will be crucial in assessing the long-term environmental consequences of the spill. — Jesus Mesa, Newsweek, 11 Mar. 2025 Predictive analytics empower retailers to assess risk in real time. — WWD, 11 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for assess

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, probably from Medieval Latin assessus, past participle of assidēre, from Latin, to sit beside, assist in the office of a judge — more at assize

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of assess was in the 15th century

Rhymes for assess

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Browse Nearby Words

assess
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Cite this Entry

“Assess.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/assess. Accessed 20 Mar. 2025.

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Kids Definition

assess

verb
as·​sess ə-ˈses How to pronounce assess (audio)
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
assessable
-ˈses-ə-bəl How to pronounce assess (audio)
adjective

Legal Definition

assess

transitive verb
as·​sess ə-ˈses How to pronounce assess (audio)
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
assessable
ə-ˈse-sə-bəl How to pronounce assess (audio)
adjective
assessment noun

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