assign

verb

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as·sign | \ ə-ˈsīn

assigned; assigning; assigns

Definition of assign

(Entry 1 of 2)

transitive verb

1 : to transfer (property) to another especially in trust or for the benefit of creditors

2a : to appoint to a post or duty assigned them to light duty assigned me two clerks

b : to appoint as a duty or task assigns 20 pages for homework

3 : to fix or specify in correspondence or relationship : select, designate assign counsel to the defendant assign a value to the variable Though assigned male at birth, she appears most comfortable and in her element wearing a skirt and high-heeled sandals when riding a big-wheel or playing with a tea set.— Will Dean

4a : to ascribe as a motive, reason, or cause especially after deliberation

b : to consider to belong to a specified period of time Archaeologists assign the weapon to the eleventh century.

assign

noun

Definition of assign (Entry 2 of 2)

: assignee sense 3 heirs and assigns

Other Words from assign Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Phrases Containing assign Learn More About assign

Other Words from assign

Verb

assignability \ ə-ˌsī-nə-ˈbi-lə-tē

\ noun

assignable \ ə-ˈsī-nə-bəl

\ adjective

assigner \ ə-ˈsī-nər

\ or assignor \ ˌa-sə-ˈnȯr

, ˌa-ˌsī- , ə-ˌsī- \ noun

Choose the Right Synonym for assign

Verb

ascribe, attribute, assign, impute, credit mean to lay something to the account of a person or thing. ascribe suggests an inferring or conjecturing of cause, quality, authorship. forged paintings formerly ascribed to masters attribute suggests less tentativeness than ascribe, less definiteness than assign. attributed to Rembrandt but possibly done by an associate assign implies ascribing with certainty or after deliberation. assigned the bones to the Cretaceous period impute suggests ascribing something that brings discredit by way of accusation or blame. tried to impute sinister motives to my actions credit implies ascribing a thing or especially an action to a person or other thing as its agent, source, or explanation. credited his teammates for his success

Examples of assign in a Sentence

Verb The teacher assigned us 50 math problems for homework! She was assigned to the embassy in India. The new teacher was assigned to the science laboratory. The plane landed at its assigned gate.

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb The Leapfrog rankings come out twice a year and assign a letter grade to thousands of U.S. hospitals based on their management of infections, safety issues, problems with surgery and more. — Sarah Ladd, The Courier-Journal, 10 May 2022 Managers can stop asking for volunteers and instead assign tasks on rotating schedules. — Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 6 May 2022 The Justice who is the senior-most Justice in the majority can decide to keep the opinion for himself or herself or can assign the opinion to another Justice. — Isaac Chotiner, The New Yorker, 3 May 2022 This is generally referred to as the AI infallibility myth by those that know about AI and are shocked or at least dismayed by those that don’t understand AI and incorrectly assign a perception of perfection toward AI systems. — Lance Eliot, Forbes, 2 May 2022 Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab said London will donate 1 million pounds ($1.3 million) in extra funding for the ICC and assign soldiers with expertise in intelligence gathering to the court to help uncover evidence of war crimes. — Mike Corder, ajc, 24 Mar. 2022 These problem-solving mathematical instructions will predict demand, match customers to neighbourhood kitchens, and assign available drivers for short-distance deliveries. — Ananya Bhattacharya, Quartz, 23 Mar. 2022 The reorganization plan calls for the Boys Scouts and its roughly 250 local councils to contribute up to $786 million in cash and property and assign certain insurance rights to a fund for abuse claimants. — Randall Chase, Chron, 14 Mar. 2022 Higher rates tend to pressure stock valuations by reducing investors’ risk appetite and denting the value analysts assign to companies’ future earnings. — Karen Langley, WSJ, 6 Mar. 2022 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Rather than point fingers or assign blame, be proactive about asking for and establishing expectations and deadlines on team objectives. — Amy Blaschka, Forbes, 23 Oct. 2021 In the shooting’s aftermath, Lewis recalls watching as the country’s anger spilled over, with the desire to point fingers and assign blame. — Lisette Voytko, Forbes, 7 July 2021 So are training initiatives to be better listeners, how to search out and benefit from diverse opinions, how to manage meetings, and how to structure projects, assign work, and manage teams. — Andrea Hill, Forbes, 18 Apr. 2021 The Mavericks’ G-League Texas Legends opted not to participate in the league’s season that will be played entirely on the Disney World campus bubble, but NBA teams are allowed to transfer or flex-assign players to teams in the bubble. — Dallas News, 5 Feb. 2021 Editors for Timpone’s network assign work to freelancers dotted around the United States and abroad, often paying $3 to $36 per job. — Arkansas Online, 24 Oct. 2020 Editors for Timpone’s network assign work to freelancers dotted around the United States and abroad, often paying $3 to $36 per job. — Arkansas Online, 24 Oct. 2020 Editors for Timpone’s network assign work to freelancers dotted around the United States and abroad, often paying $3 to $36 per job. — Arkansas Online, 24 Oct. 2020 Editors for Timpone’s network assign work to freelancers dotted around the United States and abroad, often paying $3 to $36 per job. — Arkansas Online, 24 Oct. 2020 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'assign.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Dictionary Entries Near assign

assiette

assign

assignat

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Last Updated

14 May 2022

Cite this Entry

“Assign.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/assign. Accessed 21 May. 2022.

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More Definitions for assign

assign

verb

as·sign | \ ə-ˈsīn

assigned; assigning

Kids Definition of assign

1 : to give out as a job or responsibility Our teacher assigned homework in math.

2 : to give out to : provide Each student is assigned a locker.

3 : to give a particular quality, value, or identity to Assign a number to each picture.

assign

transitive verb

as·sign | \ ə-ˈsīn

Legal Definition of assign

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : to transfer (property or rights) to another the general practice by inventors of assigning patent rights— J. K. Owens

2 : to appoint to a post or duty assigned to represent the defendant

3 : to fix or specify in relationship or correspondence a party may assign as error…a failure to give an instruction, if that party properly requested it — Federal Rules of Civil Procedure Rule 51

Other Words from assign

assignability \ ə-ˌsī-nə-ˈbi-lə-tē

\ noun

assignable \ ə-ˈsī-nə-bəl

\ adjective

assignor \ ə-ˈsī-nər

\ noun

assign

noun

Legal Definition of assign (Entry 2 of 2)

: assignee