Evaluate

Evaluate is a verb meaning to determine the value, significance, or quality of something, typically by careful appraisal or computation. In everyday language, it involves judging how good or useful something is, often to inform a decision.

In mathematics and formal logic, to evaluate an expression means to compute its numerical or symbolic value for given inputs or interpretations. This can include arithmetic expressions, function values, limits, or integrals. For example, evaluating 2+3×4 yields 14, while evaluating the limit of (sin x)/x as x approaches 0 yields 1.

In computer science and programming, evaluation refers to carrying out the instructions to produce a result. This includes evaluating expressions within a language interpreter or compiler, and deciding boolean conditions via short-circuit evaluation. Different languages may use eager (strict) or lazy evaluation strategies, affecting when expressions are computed.

In education, program, policy, and social science contexts, evaluation denotes systematic assessment of effects and outcomes. Formative evaluation supports ongoing improvement during development, while summative evaluation judges overall success after completion. Methods include metrics, surveys, experiments, and case studies, with attention to reliability, validity, and bias.

Other domains use evaluation to refer to model assessment in machine learning, cost-benefit analyses, or regulatory reviews. Etymologically, evaluate comes from the Latin evaluare, meaning to estimate or appraise the value of something.