assessment

noun

as·​sess·​ment ə-ˈses-mənt How to pronounce assessment (audio)
a-
1
: the action or an instance of making a judgment about something : the act of assessing something : appraisal
assessment of damages
an assessment of the president's achievements
2
: the amount assessed : an amount that a person is officially required to pay especially as a tax
the tax assessment on property

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History of Assessment

Assessment has two meanings (“an amount that a person is officially required to pay” and “the act of making a judgment about something”) so distinct that one might rightfully wonder if they come from different sources. They do not.

Both are derived from related senses of assess, a verb that for over 500 years has meant “to determine the rate or amount of (a tax).” The monetary sense of assessment is tied to this oldest use of assess. By the 19th century, the verb’s object shifted slightly to produce a new meaning, “to make an official valuation of (property) for the purposes of taxation.” It was but a short step from here to the broadened sense “to make a judgment about” that is the basis of assessment “the act of making a judgment.”

Examples of assessment in a Sentence

It's a difficult problem that requires careful assessment. I don't agree with his assessment of the problem. The owners claimed the tax assessment on their house was too high.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The Interior Department searched but could not produce any accurate assessment. Debra Utacia Krol, USA TODAY, 1 Dec. 2024 It should be noted that the study did not specifically constitute a legal assessment of the obligation to remedy. Juliana Kim, NPR, 30 Nov. 2024 Others have concerns that the bill has been sprung on MPs – hundreds of whom are in their first few months in the job following July’s election – without a thorough impact assessment or time to consider the proposal. Rob Picheta, CNN, 29 Nov. 2024 The assessment raises further concerns about North Korea's military capabilities and the growing cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow. Michael D. Carroll, Newsweek, 29 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for assessment 

Word History

Etymology

see assess

First Known Use

1534, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of assessment was in 1534

Dictionary Entries Near assessment

Cite this Entry

“Assessment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/assessment. Accessed 10 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

assessment

noun
as·​sess·​ment ə-ˈses-mənt How to pronounce assessment (audio)
a-
1
: the act of assessing
2
: the amount or value assessed

More from Merriam-Webster on assessment

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