evaluate
Americanverb (used with object)
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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
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.
The committee said it would continuously evaluate new evidence as it comes in, which could yet lead to wider screening programmes.
From BBC • May 28, 2026
“We believe the Board should conduct an independent investigation to evaluate whether Anthropic benefitted from any improper use of Figma’s confidential information.”
From Barron's • May 28, 2026
The company continues to evaluate other cost-reduction and automation actions, it added.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 26, 2026
"For around 10 years, free-ranging snake research almost solely focused on Oo. We wanted to evaluate snake health on a more comprehensive level and really establish a broader view," Mishin said.
From Science Daily • May 26, 2026
Still, Hoover himself had interviewed her in Washington, not once, but twice, and he arranged for a government expert on “mental diseases” to evaluate her.
From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann
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.
