Definition of consignnext

Synonym Chooser

How is the word consign distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of consign are commit, confide, entrust, and relegate. While all these words mean "to assign to a person or place for a definite purpose," consign suggests removing from one's control with formality or finality.

consigned the damaging notes to the fire

When is it sensible to use commit instead of consign?

While the synonyms commit and consign are close in meaning, 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

When could confide be used to replace consign?

While in some cases nearly identical to consign, confide implies entrusting with great assurance or reliance.

confided complete control of my affairs to my attorney

In what contexts can entrust take the place of consign?

The words entrust and consign are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, entrust implies committing with trust and confidence.

the president is entrusted with broad powers

When would relegate be a good substitute for consign?

The synonyms relegate and consign are sometimes interchangeable, but 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

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 consign But most State of the Union speeches are consigned to oblivion as soon as they’re delivered, remembered only by the speechwriters who spent weeks coming up with the right applause lines and turns of phrase. Michael Collins, USA Today, 25 Feb. 2026 The Real Real There are three different ways to consign with The Real Real. Alexis Bennett, InStyle, 19 Feb. 2026 Now, the 200-acre grounds are transformed into a massive automotive showcase with 900,000 square feet of tents that house thousands of vehicles consigned for auction. Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 24 Jan. 2026 Timing and fate would crown some of the climbers with success and consign others to the coldest of graves. Matthew Carey, Deadline, 21 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for consign
Recent Examples of Synonyms for consign
Verb
  • Miller wrote the play long before the rise of artificial intelligence sent shivers through the American workforce.
    Chris Jones, New York Daily News, 10 Apr. 2026
  • That strategy has sent Chinese investment and construction in the Middle East growing at the fastest pace of anywhere in the world in recent years, transforming the region into a key beneficiary of Xi’s flagship Belt and Road Initiative.
    Bloomberg, Bloomberg, 10 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Moments later, the person in the video drove away, leaving the kittens behind but one man quickly stepped in.
    Chelsea Jones, CBS News, 7 Apr. 2026
  • The killer exited through the window, walked across neighborhood backyards and down the alley, leaving a trail of evidence behind him.
    Patrick Salland, Kansas City Star, 7 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Under Missouri’s stadium plan, the state cannot simply hand the Royals a blank check to build a stadium.
    Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 10 Apr. 2026
  • The two were greeted with kisses on the cheek by Pakistani political and military officials before being handed bouquets of flowers.
    NBC News, NBC news, 10 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • But now, the owners of capital want to bring the unifying corporate narrative in-house and entrust it to an insider who can create a mythology that converts brand promise into a hero’s journey, an epic tale that stars every consumer who commits him or herself to the brand’s belief system.
    Bruce Stockler, Fortune, 5 Apr. 2026
  • The investigation has been entrusted to the Carabinieri of Parma and the Specialized Unit for the Protection of Cultural Heritage in Bologna, under the coordination of the Public Prosecutor’s Office.
    Chiara Pizzimenti, Vanity Fair, 31 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Stricter rules were imposed on documentation required for sponsors, border agents started pressuring unaccompanied children to self-deport before transferring them to shelters and Immigration and Customs Enforcement started arresting some sponsors in the middle of the release process.
    ABC News, ABC News, 5 Apr. 2026
  • At safety, Panthers fans surely shed a tear when true-freshman star Jessiah McGrew transferred to Arizona State.
    Walter Villa, Miami Herald, 5 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Before his final drill, a friend about 30 yards away gave him some encouragement after a good rep, to which all Wilson could do was smile and shake his head.
    Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 8 Apr. 2026
  • Anaheim’s Jeffrey Viel then took elbowing and roughing penalties with 15 seconds left that gave Nashville a man advantage for four minutes, and boos rained down from the Honda Center at the end of the second period for the second straight game.
    ABC News, ABC News, 8 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • The Premier League is working in partnership with White Ribbon UK — a charity engaging men and boys about violence against women — and aims to deliver activity that supports gender equality.
    Cerys Jones, New York Times, 6 Apr. 2026
  • One night, Nathan Calvin, a twenty-nine-year-old lawyer who worked at the nonprofit Encode and had helped craft the bill, was at home having dinner with his wife when a process server arrived to deliver a subpoena from OpenAI.
    Ronan Farrow, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • If the pair are Shea’s biological parents, Score and Mills would like to learn more about them — but not necessarily relinquish custody of Shea, Hatfield said.
    Elizabeth Chuck, NBC news, 3 Apr. 2026
  • In their eyes, the global economy is to blame for their unsatisfactory job prospects, feminism is to blame for their failures with women, minority rights are forcing them to relinquish their privilege as straight men, and so on.
    Miriam Eve Mora, The Conversation, 3 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Consign.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/consign. Accessed 12 Apr. 2026.

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