Definition of evaluatenext

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb evaluate differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of evaluate are appraise, assess, estimate, rate, and value. While all these words mean "to judge something with respect to its worth or significance," evaluate suggests an attempt to determine relative or intrinsic worth in terms other than monetary.

evaluate a student's work

When could appraise be used to replace evaluate?

The synonyms appraise and evaluate are sometimes interchangeable, but 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

Where would assess be a reasonable alternative to evaluate?

The words assess and evaluate can be used in similar contexts, but 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

In what contexts can estimate take the place of evaluate?

The words estimate and evaluate are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, 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

How are the words rate and estimate related as synonyms of evaluate?

Rate adds to estimate the notion of placing a thing according to a scale of values.

a highly rated restaurant

How do value and appraise relate to one another, in the sense of evaluate?

Value equals appraise but without implying expertness of judgment.

a watercolor valued by the donor at $500

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of evaluate Offit and others say every vaccine is meticulously evaluated before being added to the schedule. NPR, 7 Nov. 2025 Maintaining opportunities, programs and the educational experience is the district’s top priority when evaluating these cuts, Marking said, in addition to staying compliant with the law and contracts with labor partners. Jennah Pendleton, Sacbee.com, 7 Nov. 2025 In September, leaders of Rx Kids released research papers evaluating how the program affects economic stability, maternal mental health and birth outcomes in Flint, the city where the program first began and where roughly a third of the population lives below poverty. Nushrat Rahman, Freep.com, 7 Nov. 2025 Sellers is a challenging player to evaluate. Jon Conahan, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for evaluate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for evaluate
Verb
  • In 2015, the FBI opened an investigation into the group to assess potential criminal activity.
    Asra Q. Nomani , Nikolas Lanum , Michael Dorgan, FOXNews.com, 9 Jan. 2026
  • Officers were seen entering multiple mobile homes to assess the situation.
    Nina Burns, CBS News, 9 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Barring drastic cuts to spending or bringing in additional revenue, the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office estimates the deficit could be as high as $18 billion this year and $35 billion in future years.
    Nicole Nixon, Sacbee.com, 8 Jan. 2026
  • Idaho’s Office of Performance Evaluations, an independent oversight agency, estimated in a report released last year that the gap between what school districts spend to educate students with disabilities and what the state provides is more than $80 million.
    Becca Savransky, Idaho Statesman, 8 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Diana Butler Bass, a historian and author of the popular Substack newsletter The Cottage, said Yancey embodied an evangelical Christianity that valued grace and respect for different opinions.
    John Blake, CNN Money, 8 Jan. 2026
  • The round is expected to be led by GIC and Coatue Management, following a $13 billion raise in September that valued the company at $183 billion.
    Sharon Goldman, Fortune, 8 Jan. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Evaluate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/evaluate. Accessed 9 Jan. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on evaluate

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