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

Estimates of American poverty vary widely, and experts have a range of measures to assess who counts as poor. — Jeff Stein And Tracy Jan, chicagotribune.com, "White House declares war on poverty 'largely over' amid push to revamp social programs," 14 July 2018 Local governments have the power to assess fees on specific properties to pay for special benefits. — BostonGlobe.com, "Should Massachusetts allow cities and towns to create Community Benefit Districts?," 13 July 2018 He was transported to Wellington Regional Medical Center to be assessed for drug overdose and other injuries. — Austen Erblat, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Wellington, Royal Palm Beach area crime log: June 15-30," 13 July 2018 To assess the pollution costs, the AP reviewed thousands of pages of court documents, tax statements, business filings and federal financial disclosures, as well as federal and state environmental records for Indiana, Kentucky and Illinois. — Brian Slodysko, Houston Chronicle, "Pence family gas stations left costly environmental legacy," 13 July 2018 Still, studies conducted to assess their safety in consumer products have yielded contradictory findings. — Elizabeth Inglese, Vogue, "Why Johnson & Johnson’s $4.7 Billion Baby Powder Lawsuit Is Important for Women Everywhere," 13 July 2018 A week after the hurricane made landfall, according to the report, officials had been able to assess about half of the island’s wastewater treatment sites and did not have information on the status of 37 out of 69 hospitals. — Arelis R. Hernandez, OrlandoSentinel.com, "FEMA admits failures in Puerto Rico disaster response, after-action report reveals," 13 July 2018 In April, city officials launched a search for a consultant to assess the economic feasibility of leaving Black Hills and are currently evaluating proposals. — Justin Worland/pueblo, Time, "How One Industrial City Is Fighting to Go Green," 12 July 2018 Teachers at the school learn to assess each student’s individual needs. — Eam Asaduzzaman And Shababa Iqbal, The Christian Science Monitor, "School in Bangladesh builds confidence for autistic students – and their parents," 10 July 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.