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

The attorney said Kecalf Franklin has hired a handwriting expert to assess the validity of the documents. — Brian Mccollum, Detroit Free Press, "Are Aretha Franklin's handwritten wills admissible? No decision yet," 17 June 2019 Learn how to assess reef health, and discuss the impact that our actions have on Bali’s marine habitats. — National Geographic, "Bali High School Expedition," 17 June 2019 Li died this past February, aged 101, and the conference was meant to assess his life and announce that the material would soon be made available to the public. — Ian Johnson, The New York Review of Books, "China’s ‘Black Week-end’," 17 June 2019 When an officer's terror overwhelms their ability to properly assess a potential threat, unarmed citizens can die. — oregonlive.com, "He’ll go down in history as a coward, but is he a criminal?," 16 June 2019 Banks should consider creating working groups with executives across several divisions to assess the impact of climate change on their core businesses, Ms. Paisley said. — Kristin Broughton, WSJ, "Banks Take First Steps on Climate Risk Evaluations," 14 June 2019 The bank will hire a third-party consultant to assess their fair lending risk management program. — London Gibson, Indianapolis Star, "First Merchants Bank announces DOJ settlement of redlining allegations," 14 June 2019 In all these therapies, regulators will have to assess the risks and benefits. — The Economist, "Gene editing is back in the spotlight," 14 June 2019 In a recent Board of Supervisors hearing called to assess the just-expired exemption, newly dominant progressives on the board vented their spleen. — James Sutton, National Review, "Don’t Blame Big Tech for San Francisco’s Homelessness Crisis," 13 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.