assess
Americanverb (used with object)
-
assesses,
present (3rd person singular)
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assessed,
past participle, past
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assessing
present participle
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to estimate officially the value of (property, income, etc.) as a basis for taxation.
-
to fix or determine the amount of (damages, a tax, a fine, etc.).
The hurricane damage was assessed at six million dollars.
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to impose a tax or other charge on.
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to estimate or judge the value, character, etc., of; evaluate.
to assess one's efforts.
- Synonyms:
- appraise
verb
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to judge the worth, importance, etc, of; evaluate
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(foll by at) to estimate the value of (income, property, etc) for taxation purposes
the estate was assessed at three thousand pounds
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to determine the amount of (a fine, tax, damages, etc)
-
to impose a tax, fine, etc, on (a person or property)
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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overassessverb (used with object)
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reassessverb (used with object)
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assessableadjective
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unassessableadjective
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unassessedadjective
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well-assessedadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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assesssimple
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assessessimple
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have assessedperfect
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has assessedperfect
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am assessingprogressive
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are assessingprogressive
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is assessingprogressive
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have been assessingperfect progressive
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has been assessingperfect progressive
Past
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assessedsimple
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had assessedperfect
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was assessingprogressive
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were assessingprogressive
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had been assessingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of assess
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English assessen, from Old French assesser, from Medieval Latin assessāre “to assess a tax,” derivative of Latin assessus “seated beside (a judge)” (past participle of assidēre ), equivalent to as- “toward” + sed- (stem of sedēre “to sit”) + -tus past participle suffix; see as-, sit 1
Explanation
Before you try to sell your car, you should ask an expert to assess its value — once you know what it's worth, it's easier to find a fair price. When you assess a matter, you make a judgment about it. The verb assess has the general meaning of determining the importance or value of something. It also has a few specialized uses having to do with amounts of money, such as fines, fees, and taxes. It can mean to set the value of property for purposes of taxation, or to charge a person or business a tax or fee. Assess comes from Anglo-French usage, and is ultimately derived from the Latin verb assidēre, "to sit as a judge."
Vocabulary lists containing assess
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
A government spokesperson told the BBC councils would need to assess the impact on a community of a change of use.
From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026
These findings were combined into a single score used to assess the amount of Alzheimer's related pathology in the brain.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 14, 2026
The World Bank said Friday it was disbursing $200 million in emergency funds for the disaster response, as well as a mechanism to assess economic losses to help "prioritize aid and reconstruction efforts."
From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026
The official said the Navy takes every servicemember’s well-being seriously and has religious, medical and mental-health professionals available to assess and address concerns as they arise.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
"From the pics, it's clear the comm array is ruined. We need another way to talk. Once we can talk, we can assess and make plans."
From "The Martian" by Andy Weir
The FAA, which manages environmental analyses as part of its work overseeing some space activities, assesses the effects and discusses alternatives when carrying them out.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
A recent analysis from the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review, an independent nonprofit that assesses the value of medical treatments, concluded that GLP-1 drugs including Ozempic, Wegovy and Zepbound are cost-effective.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 24, 2026
Switzerland's biggest bank, which is among the world's largest wealth managers, produces the annual UBS Global Wealth Report, which assesses personal wealth trends.
From Barron's ● Jun. 30, 2026
BBC Sport England reporter Alex Howell assesses how the players performed in Boston on Tuesday - and you can see how BBC Sport readers rated them at the bottom of the page too.
From BBC ● Jun. 23, 2026
He assesses them with his shrewd, twinkly, ironic little eyes and calls them “sir,” as if they’re his graduate students.
From "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood
A landmark Cochrane review assessed all the relevant evidence looking at the effect of exercise on osteoarthritis.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 16, 2026
Property taxes can increase after the first year if the local government reassesses the home’s value after it changes hands, or if the property’s assessed value changes under local tax rules.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 15, 2026
The full extent of the damage is still being assessed.
From Barron's ● Aug. 15, 2026
—Oil prices fell as investors assessed a weaker demand outlook and continued to monitor developments in the Middle East, though talks to reopen the Strait of Hormuz remained stalled.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
I assessed my goals, analyzed my outcomes, counted my wins.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
"The longitudinal exploration of cardiovascular health throughout life, rather than assessing it at a single time point, could also provide further insight into the trajectory phenotypes contributing to cognitive decline by ethnicity," Vazquez said.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 16, 2026
There are three parts to assessing your needs before you set up a financial plan: risk need, risk capacity and risk tolerance.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 14, 2026
She added that she has never viewed the homeless count as a precise tool for assessing the crisis.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026
The hotel and casino company confirmed during an earnings call last week that it is currently assessing the offer.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026
She looked over the tops of her tortoiseshell glasses, assessing Miranda’s complexion.
From "Interpreter of Maladies" by Jhumpa Lahiri
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
