evaluation
Americannoun
-
an act or instance of evaluating or appraising.
-
(especially in medicine) a diagnosis or diagnostic study of a physical or mental condition.
Other Word Forms
- misevaluation noun
- nonevaluation noun
- overevaluation noun
- reevaluation noun
- self-evaluation noun
Etymology
Origin of evaluation
From the French word évaluation, dating back to 1745–55. See e- 1, valuation
Compare meaning
How does evaluation compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
An evaluation is an appraisal of something to determine its worth or fitness. For example, before you start an exercise program, get a medical evaluation, to make sure you're able to handle the activity. At the heart of the noun evaluation is the root word value, which means "worth." So an evaluation is an examination to find the worth of something. We do this every day — maybe making an evaluation of the prices in a store to decide whether or not to shop there. We might get an appraisal of our property, which is an evaluation to determine its worth in preparation for taking out a mortgage. Evaluation is vital in planning our lives.
Vocabulary lists containing evaluation
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Florida's B.E.S.T. Common Suffixes: -ion, -tion, -ation
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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.
Brian Jabarian, a University of Chicago economist who conducted a rigorous independent evaluation of A.I. detectors, told me flatly, “This narrative that we shouldn’t use A.I. detection doesn’t seem to hold anymore.”
From Slate • Apr. 17, 2026
With term life insurance, your mother would need to undergo a medical evaluation at the start, but not when it expires.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 14, 2026
After that mess, Mr. Rousseau promised to learn to speak French, and the chairman of the Air Canada board vowed that it would be “an integral part” of his performance evaluation.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 7, 2026
The department said in its statement that a supervisor was called to the scene, Cowser’s injuries were photographed, and she was taken to a local hospital for a medical evaluation.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 5, 2026
Despite multiple referrals from commanding officers for psychiatric evaluation, he remained in combat for seven months before his “crying outbursts” and “uncommunicative withdrawal” resulted in an honorable discharge in December 1966.
From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson
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.
