assessment

noun

as·sess·ment | \ ə-ˈses-mənt

, a-\

Definition of assessment

1 : the action or an instance of making a judgment about something : the act of assessing something : appraisal assessment of damages an assessment of the president's achievements

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

Synonyms History of Assessment More Example Sentences Learn More about assessment

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Synonyms for assessment

Synonyms

duty, imposition, impost, levy, tax

History of Assessment

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.”

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

People can request a free assessment at 602-254-4357. — AZCentral.com, "Police shootings in Arizona," 10 Sep. 2019 Now, that doesn't excuse the cautious part of Fickell's assessment. — Fletcher Page, Cincinnati.com, "What we learned in Cincinnati Bearcats' loss at Ohio State," 8 Sep. 2019 Only weeks ago, as per summer tradition, the pages of gossip magazines were full of assessments of female politicians’ beach bodies, complete with bikini photos. — Annalisa Merelli, Quartz, "Italy’s new agriculture minister is truly of the people—and she’s kryptonite for populists," 7 Sep. 2019 Even a major street overhaul would only cost a fraction of Caltrans’ assessment, Wiener said, pointing to a series of comprehensive repairs made in Sacramento. — Rachel Swan, SFChronicle.com, "Caltrans seeks to steamroll bill to include bike lanes, crosswalks in road projects," 23 Aug. 2019 Their arrival represents a resurrection of New Mexico’s $200-million investment in the endeavor, one that has garnered no shortage of derisive assessments. — Justin Bachmanbloomberg, Los Angeles Times, "Virgin Galactic unveils its new space base, but no flights yet," 16 Aug. 2019 In search of accurate assessments for salt marshes, a graduate student dragged a suitcase containing a portable gas analyzer into a marsh in Cape Cod in Massachusetts and measured the CO2 released. — Science | AAAS, "Fiddler crabs produce more carbon dioxide than their marshy homes can handle," 15 Aug. 2019 On Wednesday, a US official with direct knowledge of the latest assessment on Hong Kong told CNN that the US does not see forces 'streaming to the border' between China and Hong Kong. — Matt Rivers And Tara John, CNN, "Chinese paramilitary members are gathered near Hong Kong border," 14 Aug. 2019 Maegan Daigler, director of assessment at Sheridan, said the district’s small size makes its numbers more variable. — Meg Wingerter, The Denver Post, "Line between remedial, mainstream classes blurs as Colorado colleges reconsider paths to student success," 12 Aug. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'assessment.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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assessment

Definition of assessment

Synonyms for assessment

History of Assessment

Examples of assessment in a Sentence

First Known Use of assessment

History and Etymology for assessment

assessment

Definition of assessment

Synonyms for assessment

History of Assessment

Examples of assessment in a Sentence

First Known Use of assessment

History and Etymology for assessment

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