assessor

American  

[uh-ses-er] / əˈsɛs ər /

noun

1. a person who makes assessments, especially for purposes of taxation.

2. an adviser or assistant to a judge, especially one serving as a specialist in some field.

3. Archaic.

   1. a person who shares another's position, rank, or dignity.

   2. a person sitting beside another in an advisory capacity; an advisory associate.

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assessor British  

/ əˈsɛsə, ˌæsɛˈsɔːrɪəl /

noun

1. a person who evaluates the merits, importance, etc, of something, esp (in Britain) work prepared as part of a course of study

2. a person who values property for taxation

3. a person who estimates the value of damage to property for insurance purposes

4. a person with technical expertise called in to advise a court on specialist matters

5. a person who shares another's position or rank, esp in an advisory capacity

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Other Word Forms

• assessorial
  adjective
• assessorship
  noun

Etymology

Origin of assessor

1350–1400; Middle English assessour < Medieval Latin assessor one who assesses taxes, Latin: a judge's helper. See assess, -tor

Explanation

An assessor is a person whose job involves determining how much a house or building is worth. After an assessor establishes the value of a property, it can be taxed appropriately. An assessor, sometimes called a "tax assessor," works for a city or county, aiding the process of collecting taxes from people who own property there. In order to figure out how much someone owes, an assessor compares the person's house to the others in the neighborhood and tallies up things like square footage, number of rooms, and acres of land. In Latin an assessor is "an assistant," though in Late Latin it means "one who assesses taxes."

Example Sentences

He said his expertise in property valuation, housing markets and the economic impact of property taxation are critical for the role of assessor.

From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026

County assessor, and topics such as transparency and Proposition 13 are top of mind.

From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026

He said he would "fix this mess" by appointing a chief assessor to ensure greater stability.

From BBC • Apr. 1, 2026

A state tax tribunal ruled that the Pung estate was entitled to the exemption, but the local assessor appealed and reported the property as delinquent.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 23, 2026

Doors were opening up and down the hallway: an insurance agent, the tax assessor, a dentist in a white coat, all poking their heads out to see what the fuss was about.

From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt

Related Words

• authority
• court
• critic
• expert
• inspector
• justice
• referee