assess

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verb as·sess \ ə-ˈses , a- \

Definition of assess

transitive verb

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

2 a :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

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assessable

play \-ˈse-sə-bəl\ adjective

See assess defined for English-language learners

See assess defined for kids

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 of assess from the Web

President Donald Trump touched down in Houston on Tuesday to meet with officials and assess the damage from Hurricane Harvey.

— veronica hilbring, Essence.com, "Tone Deaf: Here's Everything Trump Has Said About Hurricane Harvey," 30 Aug. 2017
Assessing the situation at safety Next to the defensive line, safety might be Notre Dame’s weakest position in terms of depth.

— laken litman, Indianapolis Star, "Position primer: Can a playmaker emerge in Notre Dame's secondary?," 28 Aug. 2017
In recent months the county has begun location searches for its first residential detox center and for a crisis stabilization center that can assess addicts and offer case management services.

— kate magill, Howard County Times, "County fighting back as drug abuse death toll climbs," 14 Aug. 2017
As slapstick as that may sound, Jonathan Swan of Axios assesses the risk of a train wreck over the border wall as quite high: The wall is no metaphor to Trump.

— ed kilgore, Daily Intelligencer, "The Federal Government Could Be Headed for a Showdown — and a Shutdown — Over Trump’s Wall," 7 Aug. 2017
The pashas of LVMH (Karl Lagerfeld, Marc Jacobs, et al.) have assessed his achievement, and in 2016 he was named a finalist for the company’s young designer LVMH Prize.

— matthew schneier, New York Times, "Matthew Williams, Renaissance Man," 2 Aug. 2017
If not paid in a timely manner, penalties and interest may be assessed.

— karen brainard, Ramona Sentinel, "State suspends fire fee in cap-and-trade deal," 31 July 2017
A rapidly growing city could assess its needs every year while a more rural city could every decade, said Tim Bradley, the executive director of the North Carolina State Firefighters’ Association.

— jamie gwaltney, charlotteobserver, "Charlotte Fire Department is playing catch up with the city’s constant growth," 25 July 2017
When patients were assessed after 28 weeks, those in the program scored higher on a standard measure of basic skills.

— amy norton, chicagotribune.com, "Special training plus medication helps advanced Alzheimer's patients: Study," 19 July 2017

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.

Origin and Etymology of assess

Middle English, probably from Medieval Latin assessus, past participle of assidēre, from Latin, to sit beside, assist in the office of a judge — more at assize

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

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assess Synonyms

Synonyms

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

Antonyms

remit

Related Words

dock, excise, mulct, penalize, tax; extort, shake down, wrest, wring; bleed, fleece, gouge, milk, skin, squeeze; coerce, compel, force; inflict, wreak; set; reapply, reimpose, relay

Near Antonyms

abate, diminish, lessen; forgive, release; condone, disregard, excuse, gloss (over), gloze (over), ignore, pardon

Synonym Discussion of 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

Other Economics Terms

actuary, compound interest, globalization, indemnity, portfolio, rentier, stagflation, usurer

ASSESS Defined for English Language Learners

assess

play

verb

Definition of assess for English Language Learners

: to make a judgment about (something)
: to officially say what the amount, value, or rate of (something) is
: to tax or charge (someone or something) : to require (a person, business, etc.) to pay a particular amount of money

ASSESS Defined for Kids

assess

play

verb as·sess \ ə-ˈses \

Definition of assess for Students

assessed; assessing

1 :to make a judgment about

The school assessed the students' progress each year.

2 :to decide on the rate, value, or amount of (as for taxation)

The jury assessed damages of $5000.

The house was assessed at $140,000.

3 :to put a charge or tax on

The city assessed all car owners a fee.

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assessor

\-ər\ noun

a tax assessor

Headscratcher for assess

Assesses is the longest word in English that contains only one consonant repeated over and over again.

Law Dictionary

assess

play

transitive verb as·sess \ ə-ˈses \

legal Definition of assess

1 :to determine the rate or amount of (as a tax)

2 a :to impose (as a tax) according to an established rate

b :to subject to a tax, charge, or levy

each property owner was assessed an additional five dollars

3 :to make an official valuation of (property) for the purposes of taxation

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assessable

play \ə-ˈse-sə-bəl\ adjective

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assessment

noun

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Origin and Etymology of assess

assess Synonyms

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Synonym Discussion of assess

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ASSESS Defined for English Language Learners

assess

Definition of assess for English Language Learners

ASSESS Defined for Kids

assess

Definition of assess for Students

assessor

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Law Dictionary

assess

legal Definition of assess

assessable

assessment

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