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
- evaluable adjective
- evaluation noun
- evaluative adjective
- evaluator noun
- misevaluate verb (used with object)
- nonevaluative adjective
- reevaluate verb (used with object)
- unevaluated adjective
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.
The statement said that scientists, medical professionals, and toxicologists, evaluate ingredients “for safety, and products are thoroughly assessed and, where appropriate, tested to ensure they’re gentle and suitable even for the most sensitive skin.”
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026
About 16 years later, participants underwent brain scans to evaluate levels of tau and amyloid beta proteins, both of which are considered biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease.
From Science Daily • Apr. 7, 2026
Using technology to evaluate trees across vast timberlands remains hard.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 7, 2026
Ricci said his organization’s members “are doing their best to facilitate responsible access to life-changing education for students, including by reassessing how they evaluate creditworthiness in their loan programs.”
From MarketWatch • Mar. 31, 2026
If you think about it, there are two very different ways to evaluate an athlete.
From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell
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.
