evaluate

IPA/ɪˈvæljueɪt/
KK[ɪvˈæljuˌet]IPA/ɪˈvæljueɪt/

evaluate — verb

  • evaluatepresent simple I / you / we / they
  • evaluateshe / she / it
  • evaluatedpast simple
  • evaluating-ing form

1. to study or test something in order to decide how good, useful, or effective it

1.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to study or test something in order to decide how good, useful, or effective it is, after carefully looking at the facts

Example

Otis's supervisor will evaluate his performance at the end of each month.

evaluate + noun phrase for regular assessment

Before buying a used car, Lakshmi always evaluates its repair history first.

Common collocations
  • evaluate performance
  • evaluate effectiveness
  • evaluate risk
  • evaluate options
  • evaluate progress
  • evaluate quality
Synonyms
  • assess

    same register and scope; 'assess' can also include estimating size or cost, e.g. 'assess the damage'

  • judge

    more personal and subjective; can carry a sense of right/wrong rather than merely quality

  • appraise

    more formal, often used for monetary value (property, art) or job performance; less common in everyday speech

  • rate

    implies assigning a score or rank on a scale; less thorough than evaluating

Antonyms
  • ignore

    to deliberately pay no attention — the opposite of giving careful thought

Grammar Patterns

evaluate + noun phrase

evaluate + wh-clause

Usage Note

Commonly used in academic and professional contexts. The object is typically a process, outcome, or quality (performance, effectiveness, risk, progress) rather than a person as an individual.

Common Mistakes

I need to evaluate if I should go to the party.
I need to decide if I should go to the party.
'evaluate' is too formal for everyday personal choices and implies a systematic judgment of quality or value.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All five verbs involve forming an opinion about something, but they differ in thoroughness and context. 'Evaluate' (B2) and 'assess' (B2) are the most neutral and systematic — both are common in academic and professional writing, though 'assess' can also mean to estimate size or cost ('assess the damage after a storm'). 'Judge' (B2) is more personal and often carries a sense of right versus wrong, making it sound less objective. 'Appraise' (C1) is the most formal and is strongly associated with determining monetary value (a house, a piece of jewellery) or a formal job-performance review. 'Rate' (B1) is the simplest: it usually means to assign a score or category on a scale, like rating a film one to five stars, and implies less careful study than evaluating. For a systematic examination of quality or effectiveness, choose 'evaluate' or 'assess'; for a rank or score, use 'rate'; for a personal opinion, 'judge'.

assess ↗judge ↗appraiserate ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • evaluation process
  • evaluation criteria
  • evaluation method

Adverbs

Phrases

  • evaluate the effectiveness of
  • evaluate the impact of
  • evaluate the quality of

Prepositions

  • evaluate for
  • evaluate against
  • evaluate on

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

'Evaluate' comes from French 'évaluer', formed from 'e-' (a variant of 'ex-', meaning 'out') and 'value' (from Latin 'valere' — to be strong or be worth). The '-ate' ending turned it into a verb. So the core idea is 'to determine the worth of something.' It entered English in the mid-1800s, first used in mathematics and later adopted in general and academic language.