assess

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   To carefully judge the quality, value, or importance of something.

   They assessed the situation carefully before responding.

2. 2
   verb

   To estimate the value of property in order to set a tax.

   The city assessed the value of our house for tax purposes.

3. 3
   verb

   To officially decide on an amount someone must pay, such as a fine.

   The referee assessed a penalty for the late tackle.

Appears in

Simplified etymology

Assess entered English in the late Middle English period and ultimately derives from Latin assidere, “sit by.” That Latin verb developed the sense “sit down in judgment,” from which assess arose.

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…

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