assignment

noun as·sign·ment \ ə-ˈsīn-mənt \

Updated on: 11 Apr 2018

Definition of assignment

1 : the act of assigning something

the assignment of a task

2 a : 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

See assignment defined for English-language learners

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 of assignment from the Web

Basic economy tickets lack advance seat assignments, often prohibit carry-on bags in overhead bins and are ineligible for upgrades or any kind of changes.

— gerard baker, WSJ, "The 10-Point.," 5 Apr. 2018
Niko; Eve's affable colleague, Bill (David Haig); Konstantin (Kim Bodnia), the mysterious Russian daddy-figure who doles out Villanelle's assignments.

— julia felsenthal, Vogue, "For Sandra Oh, Killing Eve Was a Very Long Time Coming," 5 Apr. 2018
Schultz had previous assignments in Florida, Texas, and North Carolina.

— robert moran, Philly.com, "Marine captain from Huntingdon Valley killed in helicopter crash," 5 Apr. 2018
Almonte was designated for assignment on Monday to make room for Abraham Almonte, the former Indians outfielder who was suspended 80 games for testing positive for the performance-enhancing drug Boldenone in 2016, on the 40-man roster.

— maria torres, kansascity, "Royals trade pitching prospect Miguel Almonte two days after dropping him from roster | The Kansas City Star," 4 Apr. 2018
Some students did complain that there were professors who were creating assignments solely for students in class or giving pop quizzes in an attempt to undermine the movement.

— alexandria frank, Teen Vogue, "Howard University Students Are Calling for Their President to Resign," 3 Apr. 2018
For a number of years she was employed at Olde Windsor Bancorp in Windsor then at Birken Manufacturing in Bloomfield and finally for a temporary employment agency that provided various assignments at manufacturing facilities in the area.

— courant.com, "Janice M. Griffiths," 2 Apr. 2018
The other sixth-graders chose projects about brain function or the difference between goat's milk and cow's milk for the class' High Interest Scientific Study assignment.

— kathy flanigan, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Schofield middle-school student chose brewing for science project because it's Wisconsin," 2 Apr. 2018
The Reds couldn’t have drawn a tougher Opening Late Afternoon assignment unless his name was Kershaw.

— paul daugherty, Cincinnati.com, "Paul Daugherty: With Max Scherzer behind them, real season can begin for Cincinnati Reds," 30 Mar. 2018

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.

Origin and Etymology of assignment

see ¹assign

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

assignment Synonyms

Synonym Discussion of 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

Other Economics Terms

actuary, compound interest, globalization, indemnity, portfolio, rentier, stagflation, usurer

Financial Definition of ASSIGNMENT

wage assignment

noun

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 Defined for Kids

assignment

noun as·sign·ment \ ə-ˈsīn-mənt \

Definition of assignment for Students

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

Law Dictionary

assignment

noun as·sign·ment

legal Definition of assignment

1 : the act of assigning

2 a : 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