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evaluation
/ɪˌvæljuˈeɪʃən/
assessment of value or quality
The teacher's evaluation of the student's project was very detailed.
The teacher carefully assessed the student's project and provided a thorough review.
formal
The act of judging or determining the significance, worth, or quality of something.
The company conducts annual evaluations of employee performance.
Every year, the company assesses how well employees are doing their jobs.
She received a positive evaluation from her manager.
Her manager's feedback indicated that she was doing well in her role.
Often used in professional, academic, or technical contexts to describe systematic assessment processes.
formal
A judgment about the amount, value, or quality of something.
The evaluation of the new software showed it was efficient and user-friendly.
Experts determined that the new software was both effective and easy to use.
Can refer to the result of the assessment process itself.
Collocations
performance evaluationassessment of how well someone does their jobself-evaluationa person's own assessment of their performance or abilitiespeer evaluationfeedback from colleagues or equals about someone's workformative evaluationongoing assessment to improve learning or performancesummative evaluationfinal assessment to judge overall achievement
Pro Tip
Use in professional contexts
In workplaces, 'evaluation' often refers to formal reviews of performance, skills, or projects. For example, 'The annual evaluation will determine your bonus.'
Gold Rule
Formal vs. informal
Use 'evaluation' in formal or professional contexts. For casual opinions, use 'opinion' or 'feedback' instead.
Process vs. result
The word can refer to the act of assessing (process) or the result of that assessment (report or judgment). Pay attention to context to determine which meaning is intended.
Word Origin
From Latin 'evaluatio(n-)', from 'evaluare' meaning 'to value at' (from 'ex-' meaning 'out' + 'valere' meaning 'be strong, be worth'). The word entered English in the 16th century with the sense of 'determining the value of something'.
Usage Notes
Commonly used in professional, educational, and technical settings. Avoid using it to describe casual opinions; it implies a structured or formal process of assessment.
Word Breakdown
e-
out, from
prefixval
worth, strength
root-u-
connecting vowel
suffix-ate
to make or do
suffix-ion
act or process of
suffixEnglish Dictionary