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 The Chiefs have spent two summers talking about the downfield passing game, evaluating the ways to solve a deficiency. Sam McDowell 17, Kansas City Star, 17 Oct. 2025 LeBron’s absence stems from right-side sciatica that the team announced would keep him out through the start of the regular season and be re-evaluated in a few weeks; recent updates indicate a cautious timeline that targets a mid-November return. Rowan Fisher-Shotton, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Oct. 2025 This perspective allows the company to evaluate outcomes at both community and organizational levels, considering factors such as livability, safety, equity, and resource distribution alongside market dynamics. Wyles Daniel, USA Today, 17 Oct. 2025 Students were encouraged to learn civics through memorizing, reciting, summarizing and applying information, rather than through analyzing and evaluating information, investigating civic issues or engaging in civic action projects. Robert Maloy, The Conversation, 17 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for evaluate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for evaluate
Verb
  • Rotating personnel has certainly not helped, but the international break will have allowed Slot to assess where his side can improve defensively.
    Mark Carey, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
  • As business leaders and economists begin to take concerns of an AI bubble more seriously, the proliferation of loose internet bots has become more alarming because of their potential to distort data key to assessing the sustainability and growth of emerging tech companies.
    Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 15 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Humans aren’t very good at estimating meal components down to the gram, and measuring every mouthful of food requires intense devotion.
    Carrie Arnold, Scientific American, 14 Oct. 2025
  • But calculations that took Starship Version 2’s performance into account estimated that figure could be far higher — perhaps requiring as many as 40 tankers, according to one former NASA official who spoke on condition of anonymity.
    Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • My values include the beliefs that all of our students should feel safe, respected, and valued in our schools, that decisions should be made on the best available evidence and data, that our kids are not political pawns, that inclusion creates opportunity, and that schools shouldn’t ban books.
    Grace Tucker, Cincinnati Enquirer, 15 Oct. 2025
  • The people hiring them, on the other hand, are looking for employees who value achievement, learning, and hard work.
    Suzy Welch, CNBC, 14 Oct. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Evaluate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/evaluate. Accessed 19 Oct. 2025.

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