assignment

noun

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as·sign·ment | \ ə-ˈsīn-mənt

Definition of assignment

1 : the act of assigning something the assignment of a task

2a : a position, post, or office to which one is assigned Her assignment was to the embassy in India.

b : a specified task or amount of work assigned or undertaken as if assigned by authority a homework assignment

3 law : the transfer of property especially : the transfer of property to be held in trust or to be used for the benefit of creditors

Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about assignment

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Synonyms for assignment

Synonyms

Choose the Right Synonym for assignment

task, duty, job, chore, stint, assignment mean a piece of work to be done. task implies work imposed by a person in authority or an employer or by circumstance. charged with a variety of tasks duty implies an obligation to perform or responsibility for performance. the duties of a lifeguard job applies to a piece of work voluntarily performed; it may sometimes suggest difficulty or importance. the job of turning the company around chore implies a minor routine activity necessary for maintaining a household or farm. every child was assigned chores stint implies a carefully allotted or measured quantity of assigned work or service. a 2-month stint as a reporter assignment implies a definite limited task assigned by one in authority. a reporter's assignment

Examples of assignment in a Sentence

The students were given a homework assignment. The reporter's assignment is to interview the candidate. The reporter is here on an assignment. The reporter is here on assignment. The article discusses the recent assignment of senators to some of the more powerful committees. her assignment to the embassy in India the computer's assignment of a number to each image She asked if she could change her seating assignment.

Recent Examples on the Web Automation of routine and complaint assignment processes can help agents serve better as previous communication through all channels is consolidated to offer in-depth insight into the issue. — Gaurav Singh, Forbes, 28 May 2021 The Court of Appeals on Thursday ruled the cases should move back to Collin County, noting Gallagher had a temporary assignment that had already expired. — Lauren Mcgaughy, Dallas News, 27 May 2021 Bend Police Department has one detective working a similar assignment. — oregonlive, 27 May 2021 Patience, who is hand-delivering a late assignment after-hours, overhears Hedare overruling a lab scientist at one of the company’s research facilities who warns about the dangers of the cream. — Muna Mire, Vulture, 26 May 2021 Yardley had been on minor-league rehab assignment at Class AAA Nashville while recovering from a shoulder strain. — Tom Haudricourt, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 25 May 2021 In 1890 Lafcadio Hearn arrived in Japan on a reporting assignment for Harper’s New Monthly Magazine. — Christopher Carroll, The New York Review of Books, 25 May 2021 Whether Luzardo will require a second rehab assignment remains to be seen. — Matt Kawahara, San Francisco Chronicle, 24 May 2021 The advanced biology class at the Utah County Academy of Sciences faced a grim assignment. — Chris Berdik, USA TODAY, 23 May 2021

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

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Last Updated

1 Jun 2021

Cite this Entry

“Assignment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/assignment. Accessed 12 Jun. 2021.

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More Definitions for assignment

assignment

noun

English Language Learners Definition of assignment

: a job or duty that is given to someone : a task someone is required to do

: the act of sending someone to a particular group or place as part of a job

: the act of giving a particular value, identity, etc., to something

See the full definition for assignment in the English Language Learners Dictionary

assignment

noun

as·sign·ment | \ ə-ˈsīn-mənt

Kids Definition of assignment

1 : the act of giving out or assigning the assignment of seats

2 : something (as a job or task) that is given out … I struggled with some of the reading quizzes and writing assignments.— John David Anderson, Ms. Bixby's Last Day

assignment

noun

as·sign·ment

Legal Definition of assignment

1 : the act of assigning

2a : a position, post, or office to which one is assigned

b : a task assigned

3 : a present transfer of property or rights

— absolute assignment

: an assignment in which the transfer is complete and leaves the assignor with no interest in the property or right transferred

— assignment for the benefit of creditors

: assignment of property by a debtor to an assignee to be held in trust and used to pay off the debtor's debts

— assignment of income

: an assignment by one taxpayer to another of income for the purpose of avoiding taxes

— assignment of lease

: an assignment by a tenant of all of his or her remaining rights in a property under a lease — compare sublease

— effective assignment

: an assignment by which the assignor's interest in the property or right being assigned is terminated and transferred to the assignee

— equitable assignment

: an assignment (as of property in which one has a future interest) that is not valid at law but that would be upheld in a court of equity

— general assignment

: an assignment for the benefit of creditors of all of a debtor's property to be distributed fairly to the creditors — compare preference

— wage assignment

: an assignment by an employee by which an amount of his or her wages are transferred to another party (as a creditor) before the wages are paid to the employee — compare garnishment