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

Now officers are assessed on the realism of their training, says Meia Nouwens of the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London. — The Economist, "Xi Jinping wants China’s armed forces to be “world-class” by 2050," 27 June 2019 Ethan Ampadu, who has been used sparingly by Conte and Sarri and youngsters Jake Clarke-Salter and Trevor Chalobah will no doubt be assessed over pre-season and could feature in Lampard's plans. — SI.com, "Frank Lampard: 6 Things the Chelsea Legend Must Do as Blues Manager," 26 June 2019 County property records show the hotel was assessed at $5.4 million last year. — Lisa J. Huriash, sun-sentinel.com, "Historic Gulfstream Hotel goes up for sale," 25 June 2019 Cella said early on in the juvenile justice process, young offenders are assessed for which service would be best at addressing the behavior that got them into court. — Judy Ly, The Mercury News, "Advocates push hard for mental-health emphasis for juvenile offenders," 22 June 2019 The diamonds, which at one point were displayed in court for the jury to see firsthand, were assessed to be worth millions of dollars less than $15 million. — Jeff Mcdonald, San Diego Union-Tribune, "Jurors award Drew Brees more than $6M in jewelry lawsuit," 21 June 2019 Other cities and states should follow SF’s lead: pass comprehensive flavor bans, followed by legislation to prohibit the sales of ecigs until they are properly assessed by FDA. — Sara Harrison, WIRED, "San Francisco's E-Cigarette Ban Aims to Goose the FDA," 21 June 2019 With Vegas leading 3-0, Golden Knights forward Cody Eakin was assessed a major penalty for a hit on San Jose’s Joe Pavelski, which the league later told the Golden Knights was not the right call. — John Wawrow, The Denver Post, "NHL expands video review after calls missed in playoffs," 20 June 2019 Twenty children were assessed, and as a result, three investigations involving nine children were initiated, according to the LAPD. — Jaclyn Cosgrove, latimes.com, "LAPD targets possible MS-13 presence in the Valley with early morning raids," 19 June 2019

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.