task

play

noun \ ˈtask \

Definition of task

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 —used in the expressions to take, call, or bring to task

See task defined for English-language learners

See task defined for kids

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 of task from the Web

Since President Trump took office, he's sanctioned the country four times (and threatened military action too), taking Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro to task for his increasingly autocratic tendencies.

— amanda erickson, Washington Post, "Venezuela, enemy of the U.S., offered $5 million in aid to Harvey victims," 30 Aug. 2017
Those tasks are handled by the same division that investigates shootings by civilians.

— jsonline.com, "Trust damaged between Milwaukee police and community, Department of Justice draft report says," 30 Aug. 2017
Business Confidence Whoever wins will have a tough task stabilizing the ANC, restoring its integrity and rebuilding business confidence that was badly damaged by Zuma’s March decision to fire Pravin Gordhan as finance minister, according to Sisulu.

— sam mkokeli, Bloomberg.com, "Zuma Should Face Inquiry by South Africa's ANC, Sisulu Says," 21 Aug. 2017
That Abbott was unable to complete this task is largely due to the efforts of Joe Straus, the Republican speaker of the Texas House of Representatives.

— charles p. pierce, Esquire, "Human Bowling Jacket Paul LePage Equates Confederate Statues with 9/11 Monuments," 17 Aug. 2017
Yes, the heart can still beat and a ventilator can provide oxygen, but there is no brain to coordinate the tasks of staying alive.

— sarah zhang, The Atlantic, "The Ethics Issue Blocking Organ Transplant Research," 15 Aug. 2017
Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry, now the U.S. secretary of Energy, appointed Giroir to lead a state task force on infectious disease preparedness to combat the Ebola emergency in 2014.

— rachel bluth, Kaiser Health News, "Senate Democrats Delay HHS Nominee Over Women’s Health Funding," 10 Aug. 2017
Workers at two other concessions didn’t wash hands in between tasks.

— tom uhler, star-telegram, "Ever wonder how safe the food is at Rangers ballpark?," 9 Aug. 2017
In even simple organisms like bacteria, however, researchers have observed a distinct molecular traffic flow to reduce head-on collisions between enzymes engaged in different tasks.

— gemma tarlach, Discover Magazine, "20 Things You Didn't Know About ... Traffic," 7 Aug. 2017

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

Origin and Etymology of task

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

task Synonyms

Synonyms

assignment, duty, job, chore

Related Words

chare (or char); endeavor, enterprise, project, stint, undertaking; care, charge, commission, responsibility; function, mission, office, operation, post; errand; circuit, round, route

Synonym Discussion of 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

task

verb

Definition of task

transitive verb

1 :to assign a task to

employees tasked with updating the files

2 :to oppress with great labor

tasks his mind with petty details

3 obsolete :to impose a tax on

See task defined for English-language learners

Examples of task in a Sentence

I have been tasked by the host with bringing the pies for Thanksgiving this year.

Recent Examples of task from the Web

With the starting quarterback officially decided, Auburn is now focusing on solidifying the five players tasked with protecting Jarrett Stidham.

— james crepea, AL.com, "Auburn 'trying to settle in' on offensive line this week," 15 Aug. 2017
Once the hearing is rescheduled, Stuttley will be tasked with weighing arguments from both sides in the case and making a recommendation to Rogers, who will have final say on the fate of the club's liquor license, Murphey said.

— zak koeske, Daily Southtown, "Liquor license hearing for Dolton club at center of Mother’s Day shooting postponed again," 8 Aug. 2017
Of course, NASA's Planetary Protection Officer won't be fighting off the Klingons or the Vorgons, but instead is tasked with ensuring that the Earth and other planets don't get contaminated with microbes that don't belong there.

— avery thompson, Popular Mechanics, "NASA Hiring a 'Planetary Protection Officer' to Prevent Alien Contamination," 2 Aug. 2017
The pressure is even bigger in China, where sites like Taobao display thousands of outfits — and a few models are tasked with showing them all off.

— ella ceron, Teen Vogue, "Chinese Online Store Models Pose Rapidly in Behind-the-Scenes Videos," 31 July 2017
For some of the Trump administration officials tasked with reversing President Barack Obama’s legacy, the path forward has been somewhat rocky.

— robert pear, New York Times, "Foes of Obama-Era Rule Work to Undo Birth Control Mandate," 10 July 2017
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Kentucky's senior senator, is tasked with trying to get the bill through.

— darcy costello, The Courier-Journal, "Rand Paul says he'd be closer to backing health care bill with fixes on association plans," 6 July 2017
Residents questioned whether any of the employees working for contractors tasked with the cleanup are local.

— carrie napoleon, Post-Tribune, "EPA updates East Chicago Superfund site on cleanup efforts: 'We recognize this is a problem'," 24 June 2017
A local firm named Malan Vorster Architecture Interior Design was tasked with creating a modern, cabin-like abode on a tree-rich property.

— lauren smith, House Beautiful, "This Treehouse in Cape Town, South Africa Is a Sight to Behold," 16 June 2017

First Known Use of task

14th century

task Synonyms

Synonyms

assign, charge, commission, entrust, trust

Related Words

confer, impose; commit, confide, consign, delegate, recommend, relegate, repose; allocate, allot; authorize, empower, invest

TASK Defined for English Language Learners

task

play

noun

Definition of task for English Language Learners

: a piece of work that has been given to someone : a job for someone to do

task

verb

Definition of task for English Language Learners

: to assign (someone) a piece of work : to give (someone) a job to do

TASK Defined for Kids

task

play

noun \ ˈtask \

Definition of task for Students

:a piece of work that has been assigned, needs to be done, or presents a challenge

On Saturdays Claudia emptied the wastebaskets, a task she despised.
—E. L. Konigsburg, Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler

Synonym Discussion of task

task, duty, and job mean a piece of work assigned or to be done. task is used for work given by a person in a position of authority.

- The boss used to give me every difficult task.

duty is used when a person has responsibility to do the work.

- The duty of police is to protect people.

job may mean that the work is necessary, hard, or important.

- We all have to do our job.

Medical Dictionary

task

play

noun \ ˈtask \

medical Definition of task

: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