evaluation
ih-val-yoo-AY-shun
/ɪˌvæljuˈeɪʃn/
The making of a judgment about the amount, number, or value of something; assessment.
Evaluation is often the final step in a process where you look back and decide how successful something was.
The story behind the word. From the French 'évaluer', which comes from 'value'. It literally means 'to pull the value out' of something. It entered English in the 18th century as a way to describe the systematic determination of merit or worth.
Word relationships
- assessment: Assessment is the process of gathering data; evaluation is the final judgment made based on that data.
- appraisal: Appraisal is often specific to work performance or financial value; evaluation is a broader term for any judgment.
Commonly confused with
- evolution: Evolution is the process of gradual change; evaluation is the act of judging value.
Word family
- evaluate (verb): To judge the value or quality of.
- evaluative (adjective): Relating to or based on evaluation.
Collocations
- performance evaluation
- thorough evaluation
- independent evaluation
- conduct an evaluation
Example sentences
- "The teacher's evaluation of the student's work was very positive." A school report.
- "A thorough evaluation of the program's effectiveness is required before more funding is granted." A government report.
Memory hook
Evaluation helps you find the 'value' in a situation. Finding the value.
When not to use
Don't use 'evaluation' when you are just describing something. Evaluation requires a judgment of quality or value.
Fun facts
- In mathematics, to 'evaluate' an expression means to find its numerical value.
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