different between assess vs weigh

English

Etymology

From Middle English assessen, from Old French assesser, from Medieval Latin assessare, originally the frequentative of Latin assessus, past participle of assid?re, from ad (“to, towards, at”) + sede? (“sit; settle down”). Cognate with Spanish asentar (“to settle”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /??s?s/
• Rhymes: -?s

Verb

assess (third-person singular simple present assesses, present participle assessing, simple past and past participle assessed)

1. (transitive) To determine, estimate or judge the value of; to evaluate

   He assessed the situation.

2. (transitive) To impose or charge, especially as punishment for an infraction.

   The referee assessed a penalty for delaying the game.

   A $10.00 late fee will be assessed on all overdue accounts.

3. (transitive) To calculate and demand (the tax money due) from a person or entity.

   Once you've submitted a tax return, the Tax Department will assess the amount of tax you still owe.

Derived terms

Translations

Anagrams

• Sessas, sasses

English

Alternative forms

• waye, weye (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle English weghen, we?en, from Old English wegan, from Proto-Germanic *wegan? (“to move, carry, weigh”), from Proto-Indo-European *wé??eti, from *we??- (“to bring, transport”). Cognate with Scots wey or weich, Dutch wegen, German wiegen, wägen, Danish veje, Norwegian Bokmål veie, Norwegian Nynorsk vega. Doublet of wedge, wagon, way, and vector.

Pronunciation

• enPR: w?, IPA^(key): /we?/
• Rhymes: -e?
• Homophones: way, wey, whey (in accents with the wine-whine merger)

Verb

weigh (third-person singular simple present weighs, present participle weighing, simple past and past participle weighed)

1. (transitive) To determine the weight of an object.
2. (transitive) Often with "out", to measure a certain amount of something by its weight, e.g. for sale.

3. (transitive, figuratively) To determine the intrinsic value or merit of an object, to evaluate.
4. (intransitive, figuratively, obsolete) To judge; to estimate.
5. (transitive) To consider a subject. (Can we add an example for this sense?)
6. (transitive) To have a certain weight.

7. (intransitive) To have weight; to be heavy; to press down.
   • They only weigh the heavier.

8. (intransitive) To be considered as important; to have weight in the intellectual balance.
9. (transitive, nautical) To raise an anchor free of the seabed.
10. (intransitive, nautical) To weigh anchor.
11. To bear up; to raise; to lift into the air; to swing up.
12. (obsolete) To consider as worthy of notice; to regard.

Usage notes

• In commercial and everyday use, the term "weight" is usually used to mean mass, and the verb "to weigh" means "to determine the mass of" or "to have a mass of".

Derived terms

Related terms

• weight

Translations