assessment

noun

as·​sess·​ment ə-ˈses-mənt 

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.”

Synonyms of assessment

• tax

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

The quantitative score is combined with a qualitative assessment and editorial review, performed by CNBC staff, who read every submission on the way to finalizing the selection of this year’s fifty disruptors. —Cnbc.com Staff, CNBC, 6 Jan. 2026

Ravec, a Home Office committee, carried out an assessment that Prince Harry does indeed meet the threshold for protection. —Stylecaster Editors, StyleCaster, 5 Jan. 2026

Let’s break down the state of the Cowboys roster on Day 1 of the offseason, including an overall assessment about the state of the franchise. —Joseph Hoyt, Dallas Morning News, 5 Jan. 2026

The assessment was authored by Martin Kulldorf, chief science officer at a unit of HHS who served briefly as chair of the CDC's vaccine advisory committee last year, and Tracy Beth Høeg, acting director of the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. —Rob Stein, NPR, 5 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

see assess

First Known Use

1534, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing assessment

• self-assessment
• special assessment

Rhymes for assessment

• impressment
• reassessment

Kids Definition

assessment

noun

as·​sess·​ment ə-ˈses-mənt 

a-

1

: the act of assessing

2

: the amount or value assessed