assess

[uh-ses] /əˈsɛs/

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

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 sit) + -tus past participle suffix

Related forms

assessable, adjective

overassess, verb (used with object)

reassess, verb (used with object)

unassessable, adjective

unassessed, adjective

well-assessed, adjective

Can be confused

access, assess, excess.

accessible, assessable.

Synonyms

2. appraise, adjust. 4. appraise.

Examples from the web for assess

First we need to assess how much damage has been done to the building.
Give yourself a few days to assess your finances and your job prospects.
In some instances, the graders will assess a few initial assignments and return them for the professor's approval.
They work their socks off trying to give sensible credit ratings to every financial instrument they are asked to assess.
It's hard to use standard criteria to assess this book.
It may be too early to truly assess the effectiveness of the programs, but so far successes have been elusive.
It's also fashionable to assess "the best" of the decade.
Psychologists often use the famous Rorschach inkblot test and related tools to assess personality and mental illness.
Environmental impact studies need to assess whether the turbine might do more harm than good.
Conversations on how to assess colleges' quality.

British Dictionary definitions for assess

assess

/əˈsɛs/

verb (transitive)

to judge the worth, importance, etc, of; evaluate

(foll by at) to estimate the value of (income, property, etc) for taxation purposes: the 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 Forms

assessable, adjective

Word Origin

C15: from Old French assesser, from Latin assidēre to sit beside, from sedēre to sit

Word Origin and History for assess

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.