assignment

noun

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

chore, duty, job, task

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

More than two dozen on the list had assignments in Arizona, from St. Mary's in Phoenix to St. Xavier del Bac near Tucson. — Lauren Castle, azcentral, "2 Catholic orders name 65 priests accused or convicted of abuse; 27 served in Arizona," 15 June 2019 Melissa Fletcher Stoeltje is a general assignment reporter covering breaking news, cultural trends and interesting people and goings-on around San Antonio and Bexar County, as well as all across South Texas. — Melissa Fletcher Stoeltje, ExpressNews.com, "Texas Folklife Festival brings new artisans to San Antonio," 9 June 2019 The writer studied environmental science, worked as a general assignment reporter, became a sports journalist, and finally found his true calling when researching great athletes for his 2013 book The Sports Gene. — Ephrat Livni, Quartz, "To thrive in a “wicked” world, you need range," 9 June 2019 Subsequent assignments as a personnel specialist took him to Moron, Spain; Ankara, Turkey; Alexandria, VA; and Rota, Spain. — orlandosentinel.com, "Deaths in Central Florida: 6/9," 9 June 2019 Juggling laundry, bills, school assignments, and a social life without a familiar structure can be overwhelming. — Caryn M. Sullivan, Twin Cities, "Caryn Sullivan: Mental illness: Breaking the silence and making a plan," 9 June 2019 Prior to the recent election and the new committee assignments, Cunningham had overseen the labor relations committee, which Florian said in an interview made sense because the mayor serves as the head of the executive branch. — Emily K. Coleman, Lake County News-Sun, "Waukegan mayor takes over committee that oversees development of ordinances," 9 June 2019 Leave it to Kacey Musgraves to understand the assignment. — Anna Moeslein, Glamour, "Kacey Musgraves Literally Dressed Like a Barbie Doll for the Met Gala 2019," 7 May 2019 Another student used Endgame spoilers to his advantage and handed in a homework assignment that included no right answers and just the spoilers themselves. — Tamara Fuentes, Seventeen, "Teachers Are Threatening Students with "Avengers: Endgame" Spoilers To Get Them To Behave In Class and I’m Outraged," 3 May 2019

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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Dictionary Entries near assignment

Statistics for assignment

Last Updated

19 Jun 2019

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for assignment

The first known use of assignment was in the 14th century

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More Definitions for assignment

wage assignment

noun

Financial Definition of wage assignment

What It Is

A wage assignment refers to a forced payment of a financial obligation via automatic withholding from an employee's pay.

How It Works

Courts can subject individuals who become delinquent in their obligations to wage assignments. In most cases, wage assignments are ordered when a person is delinquent on child support, spousal support, taxes or loans. If the obligor shows a history of nonpayment, a wage assignment can be used to automatically subtract money owed from his or her payroll without his or her consent. For example, if an individual becomes delinquent on $100 monthly loan payments, a wage assignment automatically deducts the $100 from the person's weekly or monthly paycheck and sends it to the lender.

Why It Matters

Wage assignments are frequently ordered in connection with delinquent child support payments and merchant credit balances. Though unlawful in certain U.S. states, wage assignments can be a useful, proactive method for recouping long-term unpaid debts.

Source: Investing Answers

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 a homework assignment

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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