Standard Lemma guide

assess

verb · 7 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Canada, General-American, Received-Pronunciation: /əˈsɛs/
  • California: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Australian, New-Zealand: /əˈses/
  • rhymes with -ɛs
  • CMU ARPABET: AH0 S EH1 S Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To determine, estimate or judge the value of; to evaluate; to estimate.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • He assessed the situation.
  • An insurance adjuster will assess the damage.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: esteem, rate, value, appraise, apprise, apprize, assess, evaluate, judge, price, prize, valuate, weigh, worthen

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To impose or charge, especially as punishment for an infraction.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • The referee assessed a penalty for delaying the game.
  • A $10.00 late fee will be assessed on all overdue accounts.
  • We were assessed $750 in court costs.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

To calculate and demand (the tax money due) from a person or entity.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • Once you've submitted a tax return, the Tax Department will assess the amount of tax you still owe.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

evaluate or estimate the nature, quality, ability, extent, or significance of

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • I will have the family jewels appraised by a professional
  • access all the factors when taking a risk

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: measure, evaluate, valuate, appraise, value

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: evaluate, pass judgment, judge

Narrower terms: grade, score, mark, rate, value, standardize, standardise, reassess, reevaluate, censor, praise

5

verb

Meaning 5

estimate the value of (property) for taxation

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • Our house hasn't been assessed in years

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: estimate, gauge, approximate, guess, judge

6

verb

Meaning 6

set or determine the amount of (a payment such as a fine)

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: tax

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: determine, set

7

verb

Meaning 7

charge (a person or a property) with a payment, such as a tax or a fine

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: charge, bill

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h2éd Proto-Italic *ad Proto-Italic *ad- Latin ad- Proto-Indo-European *sed- Proto-Indo-European *-éh1ti Proto-Indo-European *-yeti Proto-Indo-European *-éh1yeti Proto-Indo-European *sedéh1yeti Proto-Italic *sedēō Latin sedeō Latin assideō Latin assessus Medieval Latin assessareder. Old French assesserbor. Middle English assessen English assess From Middle English assessen, from Old French assesser, from Medieval Latin assessare, originally the frequentative of Latin assessus, past participle of assidēre, from ad (“to, towards, at”) + sedeō (“sit; settle down”). Cognate with Spanish asentar (“to settle”).

Across languages

Translations

101 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: يُقَدِّر (yuqaddir) — to determine the value of
  • Basque: balio eman — to determine the value of
  • Basque: baloratu — to determine the value of
  • Basque: neurtu — to determine the value of
  • Bulgarian: оценя́вам (ocenjávam) — to determine the value of
  • Catalan: avaluar — to determine the value of
  • Catalan: valorar — to determine the value of
  • Catalan: estimar — to determine the value of
  • Czech: ohodnotit — to determine the value of
  • Czech: ocenit — to determine the value of
  • Danish: vurdere — to determine the value of
  • Dutch: beoordelen — to determine the value of
  • Dutch: evalueren — to determine the value of
  • Egyptian: i-p:Y1 (jp) — to determine the value of
  • Esperanto: taksi — to determine the value of
  • Finnish: arvioida — to determine the value of
  • Finnish: määrittää — to determine the value of
  • French: estimer — to determine the value of
  • French: évaluer — to determine the value of
  • German: schätzen — to determine the value of
  • German: bewerten — to determine the value of
  • German: einschätzen — to determine the value of
  • German: beurteilen — to determine the value of
  • Greek: αξιολογώ (axiologó) — to determine the value of
  • Greek: εκτιμώ (ektimó) — to determine the value of
  • Greek: αποτιμώ (apotimó) — to determine the value of
  • Greek: υπολογίζω (ypologízo) — to determine the value of
  • Hindi: मूल्यांकन करना (mūlyāṅkan karnā) — to determine the value of
  • Hungarian: kiértékel — to determine the value of
  • Hungarian: felbecsül — to determine the value of
  • Hungarian: felmér — to determine the value of
  • Hungarian: megállapít — to determine the value of
  • Hungarian: értékel — to determine the value of
  • Irish: measúnaigh — to determine the value of
  • Italian: valutare — to determine the value of
  • Italian: stimare — to determine the value of
  • Italian: estimare — to determine the value of
  • Latin: aestimō — to determine the value of
  • Latin: taxō — to determine the value of
  • Māori: aromatawai — to determine the value of
  • Eastern Mari: аклаш (aklaš) — to determine the value of
  • Occitan: evaluar — to determine the value of
  • Occitan: estimar — to determine the value of
  • Polish: ocenić — to determine the value of
  • Polish: oceniać — to determine the value of
  • Portuguese: estimar — to determine the value of
  • Portuguese: avaliar — to determine the value of
  • Russian: определя́ть (opredeljátʹ) — to determine the value of
  • Russian: определи́ть (opredelítʹ) — to determine the value of
  • Russian: оце́нивать (océnivatʹ) — to determine the value of
  • Russian: оцени́ть (ocenítʹ) — to determine the value of
  • Slovak: oceniť — to determine the value of
  • Slovak: ohodnotiť — to determine the value of
  • Slovak: zhodnotiť — to determine the value of
  • Spanish: evaluar — to determine the value of
  • Spanish: estimar — to determine the value of
  • Spanish: expertizar — to determine the value of
  • Swedish: värdera — to determine the value of
  • Turkish: değerlendirmek — to determine the value of
  • Ukrainian: визнача́ти (vyznačáty) — to determine the value of
  • Ukrainian: ви́значити (význačyty) — to determine the value of
  • Ukrainian: оці́нювати (ocínjuvaty) — to determine the value of
  • Ukrainian: оціни́ти (ocinýty) — to determine the value of
  • Arabic: يُغَرِّم (yuḡarrim) — to give or charge with
  • Bulgarian: облагам (oblagam) — to give or charge with
  • Dutch: belasten — to give or charge with
  • Finnish: antaa — to give or charge with
  • Finnish: jakaa — to give or charge with
  • French: infliger — to give or charge with
  • German: erheben — to give or charge with
  • German: auferlegen — to give or charge with
  • Hungarian: megítél — to give or charge with
  • Hungarian: előír — to give or charge with
  • Russian: облага́ть (oblagátʹ) — to give or charge with
  • Russian: обложи́ть (obložítʹ) — to give or charge with
  • Slovak: vyrúbiť — to give or charge with
  • Slovak: stanoviť — to give or charge with
  • Spanish: determinar — to give or charge with
  • Swedish: belasta — to give or charge with
  • Ottoman Turkish: تجزیه ایتمك (tecziye etmek) — to give or charge with
  • Bulgarian: определям (opredeljam) — to impose or subject to
  • Catalan: gravar — to impose or subject to
  • Dutch: opleggen — to impose or subject to
  • Finnish: tarkastaa — to impose or subject to
  • Finnish: määrittää — to impose or subject to
  • German: bemessen — to impose or subject to
  • Hungarian: kivet — to impose or subject to
  • Hungarian: kiró — to impose or subject to
  • Hungarian: kiszab — to impose or subject to
  • Italian: tassare — to impose or subject to
  • Italian: applicare — to impose or subject to
  • Russian: облага́ть — to impose or subject to
  • Russian: штрафова́ть (štrafovátʹ) — to impose or subject to
  • Slovak: vyrúbiť — to impose or subject to
  • Slovak: uvaliť — to impose or subject to
  • Spanish: gravar — to impose or subject to
  • Spanish: imponer — to impose or subject to
  • Swedish: förelägga — to impose or subject to
  • Ukrainian: оподатко́вувати (opodatkóvuvaty) — to impose or subject to
  • Ukrainian: оподаткува́ти (opodatkuváty) — to impose or subject to
  • Ukrainian: штрафува́ти (štrafuváty) — to impose or subject to