assessment
uh-SESS-munt
/əˈsɛsmənt/
The evaluation or estimation of the nature, quality, or ability of someone or something; in taxes, the official determination of tax liability.
An assessment is the final, official calculation made by the tax authority, whereas your filing is your self-reported estimate.
The story behind the word. From the Latin 'assidere', meaning 'to sit beside.' Originally, an assessor was an assistant to a judge who sat beside them to help estimate damages or taxes.
Word relationships
- evaluation: Evaluation is a general judgment of value, while assessment in finance is a precise, legally binding calculation of tax or value.
- appraisal: Appraisal is typically used for determining the physical value of property or goods, while assessment is used for taxes.
Commonly confused with
- estimation: An estimation is an approximate calculation, while an assessment is an official, finalized determination.
Word family
- assess (verb): To evaluate or estimate the value of.
- assessor (noun): An official who evaluates property or income for tax purposes.
Collocations
- tax assessment
- property assessment
- make an assessment
- official assessment
Example sentences
- "The tax authority issued an assessment showing he owed additional taxes." Official Correspondence
Memory hook
An assessor sits 'beside' you to look over your assets. Sitting beside to evaluate.
When not to use
Do not use when you mean a simple guess; an assessment is a structured, formal evaluation.
Fun facts
- Property tax assessments are often done using mass appraisal techniques, where algorithms estimate your home's value based on neighborhood sales without anyone ever stepping inside.
Explore more words
assess, evaluation, appraisal, diagnosis, diagnostic, observation
Take your vocabulary further with LangBlitz
Our English vocabulary app: FSRS spaced repetition, 5,000+ curated words across 119 topic groups, CEFR A1 to C2. Explore your mastery with the beautiful Vocabulary World feature.