assess

verb

as·sess | \ ə-ˈses,

a-\

assessed; assessing; assesses

Definition of assess

transitive verb

1 : to determine the rate or amount of (something, such as a tax, charge, or fine)

2a : 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

Other Words from assess Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about assess

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Synonyms & Antonyms for assess

Synonyms

charge, exact, fine, impose, lay, levy, put

Antonyms

remit

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 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

On top of that, Scantlebury will conduct several athletic tests—like endurance tests and strength tests—to assess someone’s baseline level of fitness. — Jenny Mccoy, SELF, "How to Set Realistic Fitness Goals You’ll Actually Achieve, According to Top Trainers," 3 Jan. 2019 The energetic costs of the materials and labor were also calculated in order to assess the sustainability of urban farming. — John Timmer, Ars Technica, "Urban farms could be incredibly efficient—but aren’t yet," 27 Dec. 2018 To assess your individual risk, online tools like Bright Pink’s Assess Your Risk Quiz can help, but always make sure to talk to your doctor to create the health plan that makes the most sense for you and your breasts. — Macaela Mackenzie, Glamour, "Mammograms Don't Have to Be So Terrible, Thanks to This Breakthrough Screening Technology," 30 Oct. 2018 The Houston Police reportedly arrived on the scene to assess the threat. — Fox News, "Houston's Hobby Airport shut down over bomb scare caused by 17-year-old's toy grenade," 2 Oct. 2018 The 9th’s New Moon asks you to take the time to assess your foundations. — Bess Matassa, Teen Vogue, "Monthly Lovescopes September 2018," 1 Sep. 2018 Ratings given by previous clients provided a way to assess quality. — The Economist, "Run, TaskRabbit, run: July 2030," 5 July 2018 One story imagines a debate between John Brown and Frederick Douglass; in another, set in the present, a man sits on New York’s Williamsburg Bridge calmly assessing his life and the idea of ending it. — Sam Sacks, WSJ, "Fiction: A Year in the Life of a Short Story," 28 Dec. 2018 In addition to herbal supplements, there are two pharmaceutical medications intended to increase milk supply: domperidone and metoclopramide, otherwise known as reglan, which Bazzano also assessed in her review. — E.j. Dickson, Vox, "Inside the mommy-friendly, scientifically sketchy world of breastfeeding supplements," 20 Dec. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'assess.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.