evaluate
Americanverb (used with object)
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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:
JPMorgan says it has designed an artificial-intelligent agent to evaluate markets and economic data and use it to outperform the standard 60/40 investing model, with less risk to boot.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 13, 2026
His decades in Washington gave him unmatched institutional knowledge and influence, but his health concerns also raised questions about whether political institutions have adequate ways to evaluate when leaders should step aside.
From Salon ● Jul. 12, 2026
Current medical guidelines evaluate heart valve disease by considering symptoms, valve anatomy, the severity of the leak, imaging results, and how the heart and lung circulation are responding.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 12, 2026
"My threshold for taking control measures is higher now because I have been able to prove to myself that I can evaluate the risks from slug activity with greater accuracy."
From BBC ● Jul. 7, 2026
I lived in a hostel and posed as an agricultural demonstrator who had come at the behest of the government to evaluate the land.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
For its part, Palantir’s board said the company has its own due diligence processes and evaluates the risks involved in customer engagements.
From Barron's ● Jun. 3, 2026
In the meantime, TAE has been touring Alabama, Ohio and Texas — states that have Republican governors and legislatures — as it evaluates potential sites for its first fusion power plant.
From MarketWatch ● May 18, 2026
This method evaluates how effectively a substance can neutralize viral particles.
From Science Daily ● May 7, 2026
Now confronting the indictment of Rocha Mayo and others, Sheinbaum, who is inherently cautious, may seek to delay the extradition process, requesting that Washington provide more evidence to Mexico’s foreign ministry, which evaluates extradition requests.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 30, 2026
Each week he evaluates our progress and makes a note on the wall.
From "Speak" by Laurie Halse Anderson
They evaluated efforts across six distinct categories: risk assessment, current harms, safety frameworks, existential safety, governance and accountability, and information sharing.
From Barron's ● Jul. 7, 2026
Historically, a condo inspection was a superficial affair that only evaluated what was wrong within the four walls of an individual unit.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 7, 2026
“It is also a return to a neighborhood where PwC previously had an office more than two decades ago. We evaluated multiple options and determined Century City was the right fit for our future.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 6, 2026
Using statistical modeling, the researchers evaluated how factors such as age, sex, medical history, and geographic location affected the likelihood of advancing from one stage to the next.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 1, 2026
All they and their models saw, and evaluated, were the general characteristics of loan pools.
From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis
KKR’s newly formed Helix Digital Infrastructure is among those evaluating the assets, according to a person with direct knowledge, in addition to other firms.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
“We are engaged in active discussions with our lending partners and are carefully evaluating all of the alternatives.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 11, 2026
The trial of two potential treatments for Bundibugyo began in the DRC on July 2, and is evaluating the effectiveness of the monoclonal antibody MBP134 and the antiviral drug remdesivir, alone and in combination.
From Barron's ● Jul. 9, 2026
School officials told local media they were "evaluating all available legal and administrative options, including an appeal".
From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2026
It should be a tender gesture, but it’s an evaluating one instead.
From "The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black
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.
