consign

1 of 2

verb

con·​sign kən-ˈsīn 

consigned; consigning; consigns

transitive verb

1

: to give over to another's care

… consign her single daughters to the care of their sister …

—Jane Austen

2

: to give, transfer, or deliver into the hands or control of another

also : to commit especially to a final destination or fate

a writer consigned to oblivion

consign a body to the grave

3

: to send or address to an agent to be cared for or sold

consigned the paintings for sale

intransitive verb

obsolete : agree, submit

consignable

kən-ˈsī-nə-bəl 

adjective

consignation

ˌkän-ˌsī-ˈnā-shən 

ˌkän(t)-sig-

noun

consignor

ˌkän-ˌsī-ˈnȯr 

kən-

noun

consignation

2 of 2

noun

con·​sig·​na·​tion ˌkän-ˌsī-ˈnā-shən 

ˌkän(t)-sig-

plural -s

1

: the act of marking with the sign of the cross

2

: a deposit of something a person owes tendered under judicial sanction by a debtor or a surrender of money by one claiming no interest therein to abide the determination of the rights of competing claimants

3

archaic : confirmatory indication by or as if by a sign or token

the Scriptures having their consignation from God

4

obsolete : the act of consigning (as to another person or to a state) : committing, entrusting

Synonyms of consign

Verb

• send

Choose the Right Synonym for consign

commit, entrust, confide, consign, relegate mean to assign to a person or place for a definite purpose.

commit may express the general idea of delivering into another's charge or the special sense of transferring to a superior power or to a special place of custody.

committed the felon to prison

entrust implies committing with trust and confidence.

the president is entrusted with broad powers

confide implies entrusting with great assurance or reliance.

confided complete control of my affairs to my attorney

consign suggests removing from one's control with formality or finality.

consigned the damaging notes to the fire

relegate implies a consigning to a particular class or sphere often with a suggestion of getting rid of.

relegated to an obscure position in the company

Examples of consign in a Sentence

Verb

She consigned the painting to an auction house.

The goods were consigned to him.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

For all their speed-to-market and trend obsessions, fashion companies struggle to update the systems and materials that go into their products, meaning churn reigns and improvements are consigned to that oft-uttered utopian destination known as ‘when there’s time’. —Brooke Roberts-Islam, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026

Ropper apparently bought it in 2022 and consigned it to Kinsky. —Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 5 June 2026

The Mexican federation has also worked hard to persuade fans to stop doing it, with star players such as Javier Hernandez, Rafael Marquez and Guillermo Ochoa all taking part in campaigns to consign it to the past. —Matt Slater, New York Times, 2 June 2026

If splashy headlines are to be believed, artificial intelligence is already consigning new graduates to a life of unemployment. —Revana Sharfuddin, Twin Cities, 31 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle French consigner, from Latin consignare, from com- + signum sign, mark, seal — more at sign

Noun

Medieval Latin consignation-, consignatio sealing, marking, branding, from Latin, written proof, document, from consignatus (past participle of consignare) + -ion-, -io -ion

First Known Use

Verb

1528, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Rhymes for consign

• affine
• airline
• align
• aline
• assign
• baseline
• beamline
• benign
• bloodline
• bovine
• brucine
• byline

Kids Definition

consign

verb

con·​sign kən-ˈsīn 

1

: to give over to another's care : entrust

2

: to give, transfer, or deliver to another

3

: to send or address (as goods) to an agent to be cared for or sold

Legal Definition

consign

transitive verb

con·​sign kən-ˈsīn 

: to entrust (one's goods) to the possession of a dealer to be sold for profit or returned if unsold compare bail, entrust

consignment noun

consignor

kən-ˈsī-nər, ˌkän-ˌsī-ˈnȯr 

noun