assessment

American  

[uh-ses-muhnt] / əˈsɛs mənt /

noun

1. the act of assessing; appraisal; evaluation.

2. an official valuation of property for the purpose of levying a tax; an assigned value.

3. an amount assessed as payable.

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assessment British  

/ əˈsɛsmənt /

noun

1. the act of assessing, esp (in Britain) the evaluation of a student's achievement on a course

2. an amount determined as payable

3. a valuation set on taxable property, income, etc

4. evaluation; estimation

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assessment Cultural  

1. The appraisal of property for the purposes of taxation.

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Other Word Forms

• misassessment noun
• overassessment noun
• proassessment adjective
• reassessment noun
• self-assessment noun

Etymology

Origin of assessment

First recorded in 1530–40; assess + -ment

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.

Example Sentences

That seems like an overly optimistic assessment of its prospects.

From Barron's • Apr. 17, 2026

The study looks at how both groups fared, and it compares them to Finnish peers who were never referred for assessment or treatment related to gender dysphoria.

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

They said the effects had been the subject of an environmental impact assessment as part of the planning application, which "concluded there would be no adverse effect on the integrity of the Lough".

From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026

The Taylor Hardin Secure Medical Facility in Tuscaloosa did all of the diagnostic and assessment work for courts managing people accused of crimes who might be incompetent to stand trial due to mental illness.

From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson

Related Words

• appraisal
• estimate
• judgment