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.
The Pentagon has recognized for years that open-source solutions deserve evaluation on equal footing.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026
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
A spokesperson for the Department of Housing, Communities and Local Government said Help to Buy was both introduced and closed by the previous government, and that "an evaluation of the scheme is ongoing".
From BBC • Apr. 14, 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
“Two years ago, when you first brought Adiah to me at the age of ten for evaluation, I told you that I believed she could possibly be a gifted daraja if given proper training.”
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.
