assessment
UK[əˈsesmənt]US[əˈsesmənt]
n
the act of judging or deciding the amount, value, quality, or importance of something, or the judgment or decision that is made
n
an amount that has been calculated and must be paid
Morpheme Breakdown
assess
ment
assess
to value
ment
act or result
Etymology
The word 'assessment' has its roots in the fiscal and judicial practices of the ancient Roman world. It derives from the Latin verb assidēre, meaning 'to sit beside', which was used specifically for judges' assistants who would sit to determine the amount of a tax or fine. The core notion of 'sitting in judgment to determine a value' was carried through Medieval Latin assessare, meaning 'to tax'. The suffix '-ment', indicating the action or result of a process, was added in French before the word entered English. Thus, the literal 'act of sitting by to judge a value' evolved into the modern abstract meaning of evaluation or estimation.
Analysis
Structure: assess (to value) + ment (act or result)
'assess' originates from Latin assess-, the past participial stem of assidēre meaning 'to sit by, assist in the office of a judge'. 'ment' is a suffix of Latin origin (-mentum) used to form nouns indicating an action, process, or result.
Examples
The teacher's assessment of the student's essay was very thorough.
A comprehensive environmental assessment is required before construction can begin.
He is disputing the tax assessment issued by the local authority.