evaluate
Americanverb (used with object)
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evaluates,
present (3rd person singular)
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evaluated,
past participle, past
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evaluating
present participle
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to determine or set the value or amount of; appraise.
to evaluate property.
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to judge or determine the significance, worth, or quality of; assess.
to evaluate the results of an experiment.
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Mathematics. to determine or calculate the numerical value of (a formula, function, relation, etc.).
verb
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to ascertain or set the amount or value of
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to judge or assess the worth of; appraise
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maths logic to determine the unique member of the range of a function corresponding to a given member of its domain
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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evaluationnoun
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evaluatornoun
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misevaluateverb (used with object)
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reevaluateverb (used with object)
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evaluableadjective
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evaluativeadjective
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nonevaluativeadjective
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unevaluatedadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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evaluatesimple
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evaluatessimple
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have evaluatedperfect
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has evaluatedperfect
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am evaluatingprogressive
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are evaluatingprogressive
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is evaluatingprogressive
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have been evaluatingperfect progressive
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has been evaluatingperfect progressive
Past
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evaluatedsimple
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had evaluatedperfect
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was evaluatingprogressive
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were evaluatingprogressive
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had been evaluatingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of evaluate
First recorded in 1835–45; back formation from evaluation
Explanation
When you evaluate something, you're making a judgment, one that most likely results from some degree of analysis. Breaking down the nutritional pros and cons of dessert options is evaluating. Diving into a tub of Ben and Jerry's because you have a craving is not. The word evaluate was used as a mathematics term before it became part of standard usage. Thus, its wonky connotation of objectivity.
Vocabulary lists containing evaluate
Tier 2 Words for the SBAC ELA Items
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Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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Vocabulary of the Common Core
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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:
Nathaniel Zuckschwerdt, Susmita Bose, and Amit Bandyopadhyay in the School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering worked with the team to print GRCop-42 using the configurations chosen by the AI and then evaluate the finished samples.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 27, 2026
More managers are using AI productivity trackers to evaluate their teams.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026
Her comments come just days after the Education Department issued new guidance telling schools to evaluate educational technology based on evidence that it improves student outcomes.
From Salon ● Aug. 23, 2026
Later, state regulators will evaluate whether the company acted “prudently” in its actions related to the fire’s start.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026
When the superintendent of Saint Elizabeth’s, Dr. William White, went to Paul’s cell to evaluate her mental health, she was expecting the worst.
From "Votes for Women!" by Winifred Conkling
Then on Tuesday, the AISI, the UK government agency which evaluates cutting-edge models, then said it had detected a "security incident" during a routine evaluation.
From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026
The company is also well-known for its viral short videos, in which its internet-famous sneaker-authenticator Rami Almordaah evaluates, buys, and sells rare sneakers that often cost thousands of dollars.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026
And with “In the Mouth of Madness,” he once again evaluates the price of making great art, but this time from a safer distance.
From Salon ● Jul. 17, 2026
Monday’s talks included top Anthropic security researcher Nicholas Carlini; Logan Graham, who leads the company’s team that evaluates models for risks; and Dave Orr, the company’s head of safeguards.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 16, 2026
First off, I don’t go through the line for anything, to avoid that vulnerable moment of coming out into the lunchroom, that moment when every head lifts and evaluates: friend, enemy, or loser.
From "Speak" by Laurie Halse Anderson
JPMorgan Chase JPM 0.07%increase; green up pointing triangle recently evaluated whether it could launch its own stablecoin, according to people familiar with the matter.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026
Authorities said the men were medically evaluated before being reunited with their families.
From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026
Companies enrol robots, who are evaluated and given training tailored to their "future role in the workplace".
From Barron's ● Aug. 19, 2026
She reported the injury to supervisors but was denied a request for medical leave after being evaluated by a company doctor.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
On my way home I evaluated my situation.
From "Counting by 7s" by Holly Goldberg Sloan
González said the decision was taken "after carefully evaluating the current conditions of the Carraízo reservoir in conjunction with weather forecasts".
From BBC ● Aug. 9, 2026
On his recent flight to Fresno, Franks was tasked with evaluating how altitude affects taste, aroma and mouth feel for each of his blends.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
They were then asked to perform another task on a tablet while being told that the researchers were evaluating a mobile application.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 5, 2026
He also said regulators, including the state, have “been inadequate with respect to evaluating immune system harm or the cumulative impacts of these very small PFAS.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 30, 2026
Both women, said Woodall, would accompany the team to Base Camp, and he would choose one of them to continue up Everest after evaluating their performance during the trek.
From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer
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.
