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:
Those include using the technology to evaluate complex risk factors and relationships to determine more precise prices that reflect the underlying level of risk for certain policies.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
"The consortium partners will work with FSG and the club's leadership team to evaluate opportunities that enhance the club's objectives on and off the pitch," it added.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
Companies behind the apps control the gig work via algorithms that assign tasks, set pay, evaluate performance and even fire workers.
From Barron's ● Aug. 12, 2026
The demonstrations will additionally evaluate key avionics and power capabilities needed for future operations.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 11, 2026
I had come to believe that the ability to evaluate many ideas, many histories, many points of view, was at the heart of what it means to self-create.
From "Educated" by Tara Westover
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
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
And with “In the Mouth of Madness,” he once again evaluates the price of making great art, but this time from a safer distance.
From Salon ● Jul. 17, 2026
The lung-cancer trial evaluates a combination of AstraZeneca’s cancer drugs Datroway and Imfinzi, and its chances of success are reinforced by recent positive data from a rival treatment, Jefferies says.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 16, 2026
Each week he evaluates our progress and makes a note on the wall.
From "Speak" by Laurie Halse Anderson
“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
The researchers evaluated MethylScan using blood samples from 1,061 people.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 11, 2026
Alejandro Eder, the mayor of Cali, Colombia's third largest city, reported at least 20 buildings had collapsed and people were trapped as "major damage" that was being evaluated with drones.
From Barron's ● Aug. 10, 2026
The OpenAI models were being evaluated on their cyber capabilities in an isolated sandbox.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026
Inside his braincase sensations were being reviewed, evaluated, before any official reaction was given.
From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides
"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
Puerto Rico Gov. Jenniffer González-Colón said the rationing measure was implemented after evaluating weather forecasts, conditions of the Carraizo reservoir and climate conditions of the U.S. territory.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 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
He also said regulators, including the state, have “been inadequate with respect to evaluating immune system harm or the cumulative impacts of these very small PFAS.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 30, 2026
Grandmasters were often guests on the show, evaluating the audience’s suggestions and discussing the win-loss possibilities of the contestants.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
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.
