consign

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verb

con·​sign kən-ˈsīn 

consigned; consigning; consigns

transitive verb

1

: to give over to another's care

… consign her single daughters to the care of their sister …

—Jane Austen

2

: to give, transfer, or deliver into the hands or control of another

also : to commit especially to a final destination or fate

a writer consigned to oblivion

consign a body to the grave

3

: to send or address to an agent to be cared for or sold

consigned the paintings for sale

intransitive verb

obsolete : agree, submit

consignable

kən-ˈsī-nə-bəl 

adjective

consignation

ˌkän-ˌsī-ˈnā-shən 

ˌkän(t)-sig-

noun

consignor

ˌkän-ˌsī-ˈnȯr 

kən-

noun

consignor

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noun

con·​sign·​or ¦kän-ˌsī-¦nȯr 

¦kän(t)-sə-¦nȯr, 

kən-¦sī-¦nȯr, 

kən-ˈsī-nər

variants or less commonly consigner

kən-ˈsī-nər

plural -s

: one that consigns something (as the goods of an individual shipment)

Synonyms of consign

Verb

• send

Choose the Right Synonym for consign

commit, entrust, confide, consign, relegate mean to assign to a person or place for a definite purpose.

commit may express the general idea of delivering into another's charge or the special sense of transferring to a superior power or to a special place of custody.

committed the felon to prison

entrust implies committing with trust and confidence.

the president is entrusted with broad powers

confide implies entrusting with great assurance or reliance.

confided complete control of my affairs to my attorney

consign suggests removing from one's control with formality or finality.

consigned the damaging notes to the fire

relegate implies a consigning to a particular class or sphere often with a suggestion of getting rid of.

relegated to an obscure position in the company

Examples of consign in a Sentence

Verb

She consigned the painting to an auction house.

The goods were consigned to him.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

The works surfaced earlier this year when they were consigned for auction, prompting an investigation by Spain’s National Police and the country’s culture ministry. —Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 26 May 2026

Seven years ago, Lyon ran Barcelona ragged in their first women’s Champions League final, consigning them to a 4-1 defeat. —Megan Feringa, New York Times, 23 May 2026

The fictional Operant Bureau of Zero Parades would insist otherwise; the future is all that remains, the tyranny of narrative history consigned to a past best left forgotten. —Alex James Kane, Forbes.com, 22 May 2026

It was never consigned in writing. —Literary Hub, 6 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle French consigner, from Latin consignare, from com- + signum sign, mark, seal — more at sign

First Known Use

Verb

1528, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Rhymes for consign

• affine
• airline
• align
• aline
• assign
• baseline
• beamline
• benign
• bloodline
• bovine
• brucine
• byline

Kids Definition

consign

verb

con·​sign kən-ˈsīn 

1

: to give over to another's care : entrust

2

: to give, transfer, or deliver to another

3

: to send or address (as goods) to an agent to be cared for or sold

Legal Definition

consign

transitive verb

con·​sign kən-ˈsīn 

: to entrust (one's goods) to the possession of a dealer to be sold for profit or returned if unsold compare bail, entrust

consignment noun

consignor

kən-ˈsī-nər, ˌkän-ˌsī-ˈnȯr 

noun