assessment

noun

as·​sess·​ment ə-ˈses-mənt How to pronounce assessment (audio)
a-
1
: the action or an instance of making a judgment about something : the act of assessing something : appraisal
assessment of damages
an assessment of the president's achievements
2
: the amount assessed : an amount that a person is officially required to pay especially as a tax
the tax assessment on property

Did you know?

History of Assessment

Assessment has two meanings (“an amount that a person is officially required to pay” and “the act of making a judgment about something”) so distinct that one might rightfully wonder if they come from different sources. They do not.

Both are derived from related senses of assess, a verb that for over 500 years has meant “to determine the rate or amount of (a tax).” The monetary sense of assessment is tied to this oldest use of assess. By the 19th century, the verb’s object shifted slightly to produce a new meaning, “to make an official valuation of (property) for the purposes of taxation.” It was but a short step from here to the broadened sense “to make a judgment about” that is the basis of assessment “the act of making a judgment.”

Examples of assessment in a Sentence

It's a difficult problem that requires careful assessment. I don't agree with his assessment of the problem. The owners claimed the tax assessment on their house was too high.
Recent Examples on the Web The assessment of the program was also announced days after a top official at the cannabis agency was put on administrative leave following a report from New York Cannabis Insider that alleged the agency had selectively enforced rules to punish a marijuana processor. Anthony Izaguirre, Quartz, 18 Mar. 2024 However, experts advise taking the assessment with a physician to ensure accurate interpretation of your results and score. Alyssa Hui, Verywell Health, 18 Mar. 2024 Related article The Army said the Maine gunman ‘should not have a weapon’ months before the shooting rampage that left 18 dead After the secondary assessment by a medical practitioner, a judge can opt to approve an order to temporarily remove a person’s access to firearms, the law says. Emma Tucker, CNN, 15 Mar. 2024 There are approximately 24 breast cancer risk assessment models, many of which are accessible online at no cost. Kristina Behr, Parents, 15 Mar. 2024 Cities are also starting to bear the brunt, as municipal budgets that rely on taxes associated with valuable commercial property are now facing shortfalls and contemplating cutbacks as lower assessments of property values reduce tax bills. Alan Rappeport, New York Times, 14 Mar. 2024 For Munn, the assessment came back with a lifetime risk of 37 percent—a number that seems low, but set off an alarm for Aliabadi. Margaux Anbouba, Vogue, 13 Mar. 2024 Conferences across the western third of the country have announced their postseason award winners, but the Hotline aims for a higher-level assessment of the state of play. Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 13 Mar. 2024 Any presidential statement before CFIUS completes its assessment of the deal’s national security implications would be unusual. Jeff Stein, Washington Post, 13 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'assessment.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

see assess

First Known Use

1534, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of assessment was in 1534

Dictionary Entries Near assessment

Cite this Entry

“Assessment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/assessment. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

assessment

noun
as·​sess·​ment ə-ˈses-mənt How to pronounce assessment (audio)
a-
1
: the act of assessing
2
: the amount or value assessed

More from Merriam-Webster on assessment

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!