assignment

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as in lesson
something assigned to be read or studied have you read the assignment for tomorrow?

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Synonym Chooser

How does the noun assignment contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of assignment are chore, duty, job, stint, and task. While all these words mean "a piece of work to be done," assignment implies a definite limited task assigned by one in authority.

a reporter's assignment

When is it sensible to use chore instead of assignment?

While the synonyms chore and assignment are close in meaning, chore implies a minor routine activity necessary for maintaining a household or farm.

every child was assigned chores

When is duty a more appropriate choice than assignment?

Although the words duty and assignment have much in common, duty implies an obligation to perform or responsibility for performance.

the duties of a lifeguard

When might job be a better fit than assignment?

The synonyms job and assignment are sometimes interchangeable, but job applies to a piece of work voluntarily performed; it may sometimes suggest difficulty or importance.

the job of turning the company around

When could stint be used to replace assignment?

In some situations, the words stint and assignment are roughly equivalent. However, stint implies a carefully allotted or measured quantity of assigned work or service.

a 2-month stint as a reporter

When can task be used instead of assignment?

The meanings of task and assignment largely overlap; however, task implies work imposed by a person in authority or an employer or by circumstance.

charged with a variety of tasks

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of assignment Like the artist formerly known as Experiment 626, his original assignment involved destruction — namely, the elimination of the entire human race. Richard Edwards, Space.com, 3 June 2025 The deputy who fired his weapon is on administrative assignment pending the investigation, Codd said. Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 2 June 2025 Hoeing is on a rehab assignment with Triple-A El Paso while working back from a shoulder issue that forced him to be shut down before spring training. Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 June 2025 But poetry is supposed to come from the soul, tradition, and psychic tremors too minute and particular to be grasped by a journalist on assignment. Julian Lucas, New Yorker, 25 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for assignment
Recent Examples of Synonyms for assignment
Noun
  • Enlist older children: Give age-appropriate tasks to older kids who can help with younger siblings and household responsibilities.
    Caroline Castrillon, Forbes.com, 6 June 2025
  • That’s no easy task — even as his knees deteriorated more and more towards the end of the 2024 season, Armstead still remained a top-three player at his position, according to Pro Football Focus.
    C. Isaiah Smalls II, Miami Herald, 6 June 2025
Noun
  • For manufacturing to continue growing our economy, creating jobs and developing the best products in the world, the United States must update its permitting laws and procedures.
    Matt Robison, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 June 2025
  • While the April jobs reading was better than expected, a separate reading from ADP this week showed private sector hiring hit its lowest level in more than two years.
    Ali McCadden, CNBC, 5 June 2025
Noun
  • These early lessons about strength and survival may have instilled in him a need to appear invulnerable at all times.
    Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 8 June 2025
  • His recent volume, Flavour, includes vegetable-centric recipes alongside straightforward lessons about the origins of taste—from charring to aging—and how to intuitively marry flavors for spectacular dishes.
    Hayley Maitland, Vogue, 7 June 2025
Noun
  • Research shows that 60% of managers fail within the first two years of their appointment, and their struggles during this transition phase often affect their teams.
    Davide Sartini, Forbes.com, 3 June 2025
  • The appointment was announced by Kelly Day, VP of Prime Video International.
    Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 3 June 2025
Noun
  • The federal court ruling aimed at striking down the majority of President Donald Trump's tariffs could force the government to pay back billions of dollars in import duties that have already been collected.
    Hugh Cameron, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 May 2025
  • In its ruling, the court said the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, which Trump invoked to impose the tariffs, does not authorize a president to levy universal duties on imports.
    Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 29 May 2025
Noun
  • Citing his mission as one of fiscal discipline, Musk has led the DOGE effort to eliminate certain federal offices, slash regulations and rapidly cut down the federal workforce, while reprogramming or removing some government websites, software and systems.
    Lora Kolodny, CNBC, 28 May 2025
  • The mission aimed to deploy eight Starlink simulator satellites and test the vehicle's reentry system with 100 removed heat-shield tiles.
    Jasmine Baehr, FOXNews.com, 28 May 2025
Noun
  • School might be out for the summer, but the BHG editors have been doing their homework.
    Emily Williams, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 June 2025
  • Wirtz’s Quick Adaptation As with every target, Liverpool will have done tonnes of homework on Wirtz, poring over all the data.
    Henry Flynn, Forbes.com, 1 June 2025
Noun
  • Meanwhile, the latest reading of the Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation gauge indicated that price increases in April slowed as well.
    Morgan Chittum, CNBC, 30 May 2025
  • The doc is built around intimate observational footage, rare archive film clips and readings from Welsh’s novels narrated by Liam Neeson (Batman Begins), Maxine Peake (The Theory of Everything), musician Nick Cave, Ruth Negga (Ad Astra) and Stephen Graham (Adolescence).
    Zac Ntim, Deadline, 30 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Assignment.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/assignment. Accessed 12 Jun. 2025.

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