assess

• POS: Verb (transitive)
• HYPHEN: as=sess

CIDE DICTIONARY

assess, v. t. [OF. assesser to regulate, settle, LL. assessare to value for taxation, fr. L. assidere, supine as if assessum, to sit by, esp. of judges in a court, in LL. to assess, tax. Cf. Assize, v., Cess.].

•  To value; to make a valuation or official estimate of for the purpose of taxation.  [1913 Webster]
•  To apportion a sum to be paid by (a person, a community, or an estate), in the nature of a tax, fine, etc.; to impose a tax upon (a person, an estate, or an income) according to a rate or apportionment.  [1913 Webster]
•  To determine and impose a tax or fine upon (a person, community, estate, or income); to tax; as, the club assessed each member twenty-five cents.  [1913 Webster]
•  To fix or determine the rate or amount of.  [1913 Webster]

  "This sum is assessed and raised upon individuals by commissioners in the act."  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

assess, v.tr.
1 a estimate the size or quality of. b estimate the value of (a property) for taxation.
2 a (usu. foll. by on) fix the amount of (a tax etc.) and impose it on a person or community. b (usu. foll. by in, at) fine or tax (a person, community, etc.) in or at a specific amount (assessed them at {pound}100).

Derivative

assessable adj. assessment n.

Etymology

ME f. F assesser f. L assidere (as AD-, sedere sit)

THESAURUS

assess

account, appraise, appreciate, ask, assay, calculate, calibrate, caliper, call, catalog, categorize, charge, charge for, check a parameter, class, classify, compute, consider, deem, demand, dial, divide, estimate, evaluate, exact, factor, fair-trade, fathom, figure, form an estimate, gauge, give an appreciation, graduate, group, guess, identify, impose, levy, make an estimation, make dutiable, mark, measure, mensurate, mete, meter, pace, plumb, price, prize, pro rata, probe, prorate, put, quantify, quantize, quote a price, rank, rate, reckon, require, set at, sift, size, size up, sort, sort out, sound, span, step, stick for, survey, take a reading, tax, thrash out, tithe, triangulate, valorize, valuate, value, weigh, winnow

ROGET THESAURUS

assess

Price

VB bear a price, set a price, fix a price, appraise, assess, doom, price, charge, demand, ask, require, exact, run up, distrain, run up a bill, have one's price, liquidate, amount to, come to, mount up to, stand one in, fetch, sell for, cost, bring in, yield, afford.

Value

VB value, esteem, appreciate, appraise, evaluate, assess.

Measurement

VB measure, mete, determine, assay, evaluate, value, assess, rate, appraise, estimate, form an estimate, set a value on, appreciate, standardize, span, pace step, apply the compass, gauge, plumb, probe, sound, fathom, heave the log, heave the lead, survey, weigh, take an average, graduate.

Judgment

VB judge, conclude, come to a conclusion, draw a conclusion, arrive at a conclusion, ascertain, determine, make up one's mind, deduce, derive, gather, collect, draw an inference, make a deduction, weet, ween, form an estimate, estimate, appreciate, value, count, assess, rate, rank, account, regard, consider, think of, look upon, review, size up, settle, pass an opinion, give an opinion, decide, try, pronounce, rule, pass judgment, pass sentence, sentence, doom, find, give judgment, deliver judgment, adjudge, adjudicate, arbitrate, award, report, bring in a verdict, make absolute, set a question at rest, confirm, comment, criticize, kibitz, pass under review, investigate, hold the scales, sit in judgment, try judgment, hear a cause.