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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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:
Traders depend on transparent market dynamics to evaluate prices.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 27, 2026
By comparing Lumina's predictions with observations from JWST, Roman, and other telescopes, scientists can evaluate how well existing theories explain cosmic evolution and identify discoveries that might challenge their understanding of the universe's fundamental laws.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 27, 2026
Enrique Lores, who became PayPal’s chief executive in March, reiterated that while the company will evaluate any merger or acquisition proposal, he remains focused on executing PayPal’s turnaround.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 27, 2026
“Franchisees indicated that the bird is too large, producing tough meat, and that the company should evaluate moving to a smaller bird of a different breed,” he said.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 26, 2026
I lean over and evaluate Rosie’s toenails, running my hands along the underside of her foot.
From "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen
He said that his terms were flexible and that businesses struggling to make the daily payments could request “reconciliation,” where the company evaluates recent sales and recalculates the daily payback amount.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2026
ChatGPT-maker OpenAI said Thursday that it has fired three researchers for allegedly mishandling "sensitive information" and violating company policies, including work that involved an external organization that evaluates artificial intelligence models.
From Barron's ● Oct. 2, 2026
Harvard has slashed admissions of new doctoral students in various social-science programs as it evaluates “the future model of Ph.D. education.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 27, 2026
This year, the news organization introduced a metric that evaluates graduates’ earnings within majors.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 22, 2026
Each week he evaluates our progress and makes a note on the wall.
From "Speak" by Laurie Halse Anderson
A randomized trial that evaluated the Miudella alongside an IUD model functionally equivalent to the Paragard also found that the participants assigned Miudella were more likely to keep using their IUD.
From Slate ● Oct. 27, 2026
Audi evaluated more than 70 locations, he said, and chose Georgia for its energy supplies and proximity to corporate cousin Volkswagen’s supply-chain network across the South.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 26, 2026
Gitlin said the company evaluated several sites in Texas and Alabama before settling on Fort Worth.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2026
That early robot evaluated just 20 measurement points to determine the safest route ahead.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 21, 2026
He evaluated my game this way: I had potential to become a decent player provided I was prepared to work hard to unlearn the numerous bad habits I had taught myself.
From "Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography" by Mark Mathabane
The vaccine is expected to be approved next year, and analysts are closely monitoring studies evaluating intismeran in patients with renal-cell carcinoma and muscle-invasive bladder cancer who have undergone surgery.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 26, 2026
“Our City teams have been busy reinforcing sand berms, evaluating vulnerable seawalls, placing sandbags, inspecting storm drains and preparing additional pumps, heavy equipment and emergency resources,” Jurjis said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 25, 2026
“We are committed to carefully evaluating their findings and taking appropriate action to further strengthen our standards and culture of safety,” he said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 24, 2026
Mak and colleagues are also evaluating an AI tool for predicting biological age, or how old someone looks, as opposed to their birthday age.
From BBC ● Oct. 20, 2026
She stopped in the snow, staring at the possessions outside the barn, evaluating the contents and whom they might belong to.
From "Salt to the Sea" by Ruta Sepetys
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
