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:
Further research would be needed to evaluate any potential medical applications.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 11, 2026
Now, investors have learned to account for these factors, giving them greater confidence as they evaluate early-stage biotechs, said Dr. Brian Abrahams, global sector head of healthcare research for investment bank RBC Capital Markets.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
She said WHO recognises this is an evolving field and will continue to evaluate the evidence.
From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026
Portfolio managers and active investors use beta to evaluate how volatile an individual stock is compared with the broader market.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 7, 2026
So much was going on that I couldn't objectively evaluate if we had presented enough evidence to change the picture of the case.
From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson
ChatGPT-maker OpenAI said Thursday that it has fired three researchers for allegedly mishandling "sensitive information" and violating company policies, including work that involved an external organization that evaluates artificial intelligence models.
From Barron's ● Oct. 2, 2026
This year, the news organization introduced a metric that evaluates graduates’ earnings within majors.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 22, 2026
What’s missing is a regulatory system that evaluates whether these therapies work.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 13, 2026
It evaluates incoming signals, including information that may be incomplete or uncertain, combines them into a more useful overall representation, and then helps direct other brain regions toward an appropriate response.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 20, 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
The researchers evaluated the technology through laboratory experiments and preclinical testing.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 11, 2026
The study evaluated the effects of Vyvgart in subcutaneous formulation in adults with moderate-to-severe Sjogren’s disease, a chronic autoimmune disorder that can cause symptoms including dry eyes and mouth, fatigue and joint pain.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
Year: 2025 Compiled by: Dan Kois and Rebecca Onion Of note: Was evaluated on the record by picture-book creators Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen.
From Slate ● Oct. 7, 2026
Anderson was recently evaluated by Kerry Daynes, a consultant and forensic psychologist, who concluded he was not a psychopath.
From BBC ● Oct. 3, 2026
“The Dauntless leaders . . . they evaluated my records and removed me from the simulation,” he says.
From "Divergent" by Veronica Roth
"We are closely evaluating these trial results to consider how this advanced AI technology can be deployed for future police enforcement," he added.
From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2026
No one was injured in the attack, Yandex said, adding that emergency services were at the site and the company was evaluating ways to restore operations.
From Barron's ● Oct. 11, 2026
Today, finding an effective depression treatment can involve trying different medications or therapies and evaluating how well each works.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 9, 2026
Largely because Angels scouting director Bob Fontaine Jr. ignored the potential limitations that others fixated on when evaluating Abbott.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 5, 2026
The old woman regarded her for several seconds, as though evaluating her, before nodding in acquiescence.
From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray
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.
