noun
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the act of assessing, esp (in Britain) the evaluation of a student's achievement on a course
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an amount determined as payable
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a valuation set on taxable property, income, etc
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evaluation; estimation
Other Word Forms
- misassessment noun
- overassessment noun
- proassessment adjective
- reassessment noun
- self-assessment noun
Etymology
Origin of assessment
Explanation
Assessment is a word you hear a lot around schools — an assessment is an evaluation, and one type of assessment is used to measure what someone knows or has learned. Tests and term papers can be assessment tools. More than just students are given assessments. You might bring your dad's plastic gnome collection to an expert for an assessment and find out it's worth all of $15.35. You might make a quick assessment of a sticky situation — say it's you, a tasty ham sandwich, and your hungry dog— and decide to run.
Vocabulary lists containing assessment
Essential Academic Vocabulary for High School Students, List 1
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Declaration of the Rights of Woman (1791)
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This Week in Words: January 12 - 18, 2019
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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.
Wall Street didn’t agree with that cheery assessment.
From Barron's • Apr. 17, 2026
Upgrades through these loans can be treated as a public benefit and repaid through a special assessment on the property tax bill, which can reduce risk and lower capital costs.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026
Typically, property owners use C-PACE financing to pay for energy-related upgrades through a tax assessment tied to the real estate itself, creating a long-duration, senior-secured instrument.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026
The UK government has said there is "no assessment" that Iran is trying to target Europe with missiles.
From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026
The trooper made a quick assessment of the young man.
From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel
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.
