Liberal Dictionary English Dictionary
assess [uh-ses] SynonymsExamplesWord Origin See more synonyms for assess on Thesaurus.com verb (used with object)
- to estimate officially the value of (property, income, etc.) as a basis for taxation.
- to fix or determine the amount of (damages, a tax, a fine, etc.): The hurricane damage was assessed at six million dollars.
- to impose a tax or other charge on.
- to estimate or judge the value, character, etc., of; evaluate: to assess one’s efforts.
Origin of assess 1400–50; late Middle English assessen Medieval Latin assessāre to assess a tax, derivative of Latin assēssus seated beside (a judge) (past participle of assidēre), equivalent to as- as- + sed- (stem of sedēre to sit1) + -tus past participle suffixRelated formsas·sess·a·ble, adjectiveo·ver·as·sess, verb (used with object)re·as·sess, verb (used with object)un·as·sess·a·ble, adjectiveun·as·sessed, adjectivewell-as·sessed, adjectiveCan be confusedaccess assess excessaccessible assessableSynonyms for assess See more synonyms for on Thesaurus.com 2. appraise, adjust. 4. appraise. Related Words for assess fix, gauge, determine, judge, weigh, estimate, check, appraise, evaluate, levy, impose, guess, set, compute, figure, reckon, valuate, apprise, value, nick Examples from the Web for assess Contemporary Examples of assess
The artist came down and stood beside his patron to assess things.
Great Renaissance Art Thrived Amid Filth
Nick Romeo
December 3, 2014
Crowe recently returned from a visit to Liberia to assess the situation on the ground and will share her knowledge and experience.
Ebola, Israeli-Palestinian Reconciliation Panels Added to WITW Texas
October 16, 2014
“I would advise any candidate to assess their viability and not just do a token run,” said Celinda Lake, a Democratic pollster.
Does Team Hillary Want a Democratic Challenge?
David Freedlander
September 25, 2014
“My job was to assess their fear and then harp on that fear, capitalize on that fear and get them to buy,” said Maddox, 33.
‘Degree Mills’ Are Exploiting Veterans and Making Millions Off the GI Bill
Aaron Glantz
June 28, 2014
But as with so many customs, little information is available to assess the impact of clay and its congeners on human health.
You Probably Shouldn’t Try to Lose 20 Pounds by Eating Clay
Kent Sepkowitz
June 24, 2014
Historical Examples of assess
She could not assess her trespass by any moral code; it was everything or nothing.
E. M. Forster
I cannot pretend to assess impartially the value of this movement.
Stephen Gwynn
How can it step out of the scales and assess its own weight?
Various
We said we might buy something more and he could assess them all together.
Journal of Jasper Danckaerts, 1679-1680
Jasper Danckaerts
I have no right to—to assess it, to make a definition of it.
William de Morgan
British Dictionary definitions for assess assess verb (tr)
- to judge the worth, importance, etc, of; evaluate
- (foll by at) to estimate the value of (income, property, etc) for taxation purposesthe estate was assessed at three thousand pounds
- to determine the amount of (a fine, tax, damages, etc)
- to impose a tax, fine, etc, on (a person or property)
Derived Formsassessable, adjectiveWord Origin for assess C15: from Old French assesser, from Latin assidēre to sit beside, from sedēre to sit Word Origin and History for assess v.
early 15c., “to fix the amount (of a tax, fine, etc.),” from Anglo-French assesser, from Medieval Latin assessare “fix a tax upon,” originally frequentative of Latin assessus “a sitting by,” past participle of assidere “to sit beside” (and thus to assist in the office of a judge), from ad- “to” (see ad-) + sedere “to sit” (see sedentary). One of the judge’s assistant’s jobs was to fix the amount of a fine or tax. Meaning “to estimate the value of property for the purpose of taxing it” is from 1809; transferred sense of “to judge the value of a person, idea, etc.” is from 1934. Related: Assessed; assessing.