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:
If confirmed that the test results were those of Maradona's father, however, it could discredit the medical commission set up to evaluate the circumstances of Maradona's death, boosting the defence.
From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 2026
After I read the diary, my efforts to evaluate the government’s response shifted from assessing operational efficacy to diagnosing a crisis of institutional legitimacy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026
Yes, yes it does—but in every category by which you might evaluate a mode of transportation, the people mover comes up short.
From Slate ● Aug. 18, 2026
Such systems can evaluate multiple inputs at once while making decisions informed by previous experiences and future priorities.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 17, 2026
If you were a company, you could evaluate the software for ninety days.
From "The World Is Flat" by Thomas L. Friedman
WSJ | Buy Side: Our guide to high-net-worth financial advisers evaluates the top firms with experience managing substantial wealth and complex finances.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 9, 2026
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 HV measurement refers to Vickers hardness, a test that evaluates how strongly a material resists being indented by a hard tip.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 4, 2026
She remains on a leave of absence while the council evaluates all of the facts surrounding the incident, Sausalito Mayor Steven Woodside said in a Tuesday evening statement.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 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
Authorities said the men were medically evaluated before being reunited with their families.
From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026
WSJ | Buy Side: We evaluated rates from major auto insurers to find the cheapest car insurance for a variety of driving records.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026
“Two independent doctors evaluated Hoetzlein and each concluded he met the legal criteria for a finding of not guilty by reason of insanity,” Ventura County Dist.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2026
Researchers evaluated three major features associated with Alzheimer's disease: amyloid-beta plaques, tau tangles, and neuritic plaques, which are amyloid plaques surrounded by damaged nerve cells.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 14, 2026
Inside his braincase sensations were being reviewed, evaluated, before any official reaction was given.
From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides
Surely the team would have been better served by evaluating at the end of the debut season?
From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026
"We remain firmly committed to providing the greatest possible access for both the media and the public," he said, adding that the court is "evaluating the complex logistical and safety considerations involved".
From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026
Ted, he added, “develops people instead of simply evaluating them. Ironically, those ‘soft’ skills often produce the hardest business results.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026
PayPal’s board is evaluating the bid but thinks it undervalues the company while new leadership attempts a turnaround, Reuters reported, citing people familiar with the matter.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026
In evaluating the intentions and feelings of others, his ability to separate the real situation from his own mental projections is very poor.
From "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote
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.
