Assess Definition & Meaning

American

British

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Examples

Related Words

Synonyms assess American [uh-ses] / əˈsɛs /

verb (used with object)

1. to estimate officially the value of (property, income, etc.) as a basis for taxation.

2. to fix or determine the amount of (damages, a tax, a fine, etc.).

   The hurricane damage was assessed at six million dollars.

   Synonyms: adjust, appraise

3. to impose a tax or other charge on.

4. to estimate or judge the value, character, etc., of; evaluate.

   to assess one's efforts.

   Synonyms: appraise

assess British / əˈsɛs /

verb

1. to judge the worth, importance, etc, of; evaluate

2. (foll by at) to estimate the value of (income, property, etc) for taxation purposes

   the estate was assessed at three thousand pounds

3. to determine the amount of (a fine, tax, damages, etc)

4. to impose a tax, fine, etc, on (a person or property)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

• assessable adjective
• overassess verb (used with object)
• reassess verb (used with object)
• unassessable adjective
• unassessed adjective
• well-assessed adjective

Etymology

Origin of assess

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English assessen, from Old French assesser, from Medieval Latin assessāre “to assess a tax,” derivative of Latin assessus “seated beside (a judge)” (past participle of assidēre ), equivalent to as- “toward” + sed- (stem of sedēre “to sit”) + -tus past participle suffix; as-, sit 1

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Miliband said the modelling would "test a range of trajectories to assess the potential emissions impact under different outcomes".

From BBC

Employees are often aware that they can be assessed to ensure they're using the correct language.

From BBC

Last week, Essex Police said it was "assessing the information that has emerged" about private flights into and out of Stansted Airport, following the US government's release of Epstein materials.

From BBC

"On this basis, and as new documents were published recently, we are looking into these and assessing whether there is any breach of the respective obligations," she said.

From BBC

They used both observational data and genetic techniques to assess whether blood levels of phenylalanine and tyrosine were related to overall mortality and predicted lifespan.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• appraise
• check
• determine
• estimate
• fix
• gauge
• judge
• weigh

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.