Rufous

Definition of ASSESSMENT

Format: markdownScore: 20Link: https://www.merriam-webster.com

: the action or an instance of making a judgment about something : the act of assessing something : appraisal

an assessment of the president's achievements

: the amount assessed : an amount that a person is officially required to pay especially as a tax

the tax assessment on property

Did you know?

Assessment has two meanings (“an amount that a person is officially required to pay” and “the act of making a judgment about something”) so distinct that one might rightfully wonder if they come from different sources. They do not.

Both are derived from related senses of assess, a verb that for over 500 years has meant “to determine the rate or amount of (a tax).” The monetary sense of assessment is tied to this oldest use of assess. By the 19th century, the verb’s object shifted slightly to produce a new meaning, “to make an official valuation of (property) for the purposes of taxation.” It was but a short step from here to the broadened sense “to make a judgment about” that is the basis of assessment “the act of making a judgment.”

Synonyms

Examples of assessment in a Sentence

It's a difficult problem that requires careful assessment.

I don't agree with his assessment of the problem.

The owners claimed the tax assessment on their house was too high.

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.

Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.

Other nations use economic assessments to decide whether to cover drugs and at what price, often paying far less than the U.S. for the same treatments.

—Robin Fields, CNN, 17 Feb. 2025

Vanessa Perry, interim dean of the George Washington University School of Business, agrees with that assessment.

—Andrea Riquier, USA TODAY, 17 Feb. 2025

The Five Eyes extend the geographical reach of U.S. intelligence coverage and provide assessments that can increase or even usefully challenge U.S. findings.

—Kori Schake, The Atlantic, 15 Feb. 2025

Angel Quiros, the commissioner of correction, did not protest the lawmakers’ harsh assessment.

—Mark Pazniokas, Hartford Courant, 15 Feb. 2025

See all Example Sentences for assessment

Word History

First Known Use
1534, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of assessment was
in 1534

Dictionary Entries Near assessment

Cite this Entry

“Assessment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/assessment. Accessed 25 Feb. 2025.