task

noun

ˈtask 

plural tasks

1

a

: a usually assigned piece of work often to be finished within a certain time

b

: something hard or unpleasant that has to be done

c

: duty, function

2

: subjection to adverse criticism : reprimand

… the state government was called to task for not doing more to help the area around the casinos.

—Stephanie Powers

In the NFL, coaches often aren't brought to task for their worst decisions even after games.

—Rodger Sherman

see also take to task

Synonyms of task

• job
• duty
• assignment

Choose the Right Synonym for task

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 task in a Sentence

Our first task is to review the budget.

one of my tasks in the morning is to make lunches for everyone in the family

Recent Examples on the Web

The new measures authorize the military to participate in public security tasks and create a new anti-organized crime unit. —CBS News, 3 June 2026

Future versions could support market research, product analysis, calendar management, and competitive intelligence tasks. —Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 3 June 2026

There will be plenty of opportunity for people to up-skill, focus more on serving the customer, for buyers touching and procuring product, and have mundane tasks done by technology. —David Moin, Footwear News, 3 June 2026

Earlier assistants could handle individual tasks – like calling a taxi or placing an order – but not multi-step jobs or understanding personal preferences. —Lisa Eadicicco, CNN Money, 3 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English taske, from Middle French dialect (Picardy, Flanders) tasque, from Medieval Latin tasca tax or service imposed by a feudal superior, alteration of *taxa, from taxare to tax

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing task

• sub-task
• take to task
• task bar
• task force
• the task at hand

Rhymes for task

• ask
• bask
• basque
• cask
• casque
• flask
• mask
• masque
• pasch
• subtask
• unmask

Kids Definition

task

noun

ˈtask

: a piece of assigned work

Medical Definition

task

noun

ˈtask 

: the performance that is required of the subject in a psychological experiment or test and that is usually communicated to a human subject by verbal instructions