evaluate

1 of 2

verb

eval·​u·​ate i-ˈval-yə-ˌwāt How to pronounce evaluate (audio)
-yü-ˌāt
evaluated; evaluating
Synonyms of evaluate

transitive verb

1
: to determine or fix the value of
2
: to determine the significance, worth, or condition of usually by careful appraisal and study
evaluative
i-ˈval-yə-ˌwā-tiv How to pronounce evaluate (audio)
-yü-ˌā-
adjective
evaluator
i-ˈval-yə-ˌwā-tər How to pronounce evaluate (audio)
-yü-ˌā-
noun

evaluator

2 of 2

noun

eval·​u·​a·​tor -ˌwātə(r) How to pronounce evaluator (audio)
-ātə-
plural -s
: one that evaluates
an intelligence officer is supposed to be a professional evaluator—Perry Miller

Synonyms of evaluate

Relevance

Verb

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus
Choose the Right Synonym for evaluate

estimate, appraise, evaluate, value, rate, assess mean to judge something with respect to its worth or significance.

estimate implies a judgment, considered or casual, that precedes or takes the place of actual measuring or counting or testing out.

estimated the crowd at two hundred

appraise commonly implies the fixing by an expert of the monetary worth of a thing, but it may be used of any critical judgment.

having their house appraised

evaluate suggests an attempt to determine relative or intrinsic worth in terms other than monetary.

evaluate a student's work

value equals appraise but without implying expertness of judgment.

a watercolor valued by the donor at $500

rate adds to estimate the notion of placing a thing according to a scale of values.

a highly rated restaurant

assess implies a critical appraisal for the purpose of understanding or interpreting, or as a guide in taking action.

officials are trying to assess the damage

Examples of evaluate in a Sentence

Verb We need to evaluate our options. evaluate a training program as effective
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
Yet, according to Ries, the financial tools companies use to evaluate decisions frequently discourage investing in it because trust rarely appears on a balance sheet. — Rodger Dean Duncan, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2026 Serving as the core testbed for the DOD and Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane Division, HASTE allows defense agencies to evaluate payloads and maneuverable hardware at Mach 5+ speeds. — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 11 Aug. 2026 Judge Montana Beck of Reno, Nevada, evaluated the market beef, swine, lamb and goats before choosing the Grand Champion and Reserve Grand Champion winners in each species. — Stephanie Ogilvie, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Aug. 2026 Players take turns as a buyer and try to evaluate deals from everyone else. — Greg Rosalsky, NPR, 11 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for evaluate

Word History

Etymology

Verb

back-formation from evaluation, from French évaluation, from Middle French evaluacion, from esvaluer to evaluate, from e- + value value

First Known Use

Verb

1842, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of evaluate was in 1842

Phrases Containing evaluate

Rhymes for evaluate

See All Rhymes for evaluate

Browse Nearby Words

evaluable
evaluate
evaluation
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Evaluate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/evaluate. Accessed 12 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

evaluate

verb
eval·​u·​ate i-ˈval-yə-ˌwāt How to pronounce evaluate (audio)
evaluated; evaluating
1
: to find the value of
evaluate a mathematical expression
2
: to decide the value or worth of after study
evaluate a new program
evaluation
-ˌval-yə-ˈwā-shən How to pronounce evaluate (audio)
noun
evaluative
-ˈval-yə-ˌwāt-iv How to pronounce evaluate (audio)
adjective
evaluator
-ˌwāt-ər How to pronounce evaluate (audio)
noun

More from Merriam-Webster on evaluate

Nglish: Translation of evaluate for Spanish Speakers

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