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Definition of assignment
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.
duty implies an obligation to perform or responsibility for performance.
job applies to a piece of work voluntarily performed; it may sometimes suggest difficulty or importance.
chore implies a minor routine activity necessary for maintaining a household or farm.
stint implies a carefully allotted or measured quantity of assigned work or service.
assignment implies a definite limited task assigned by one in authority.
Examples of assignment in a Sentence
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'assignment.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
see assign entry 1
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Phrases Containing assignment
- self - assignment
Dictionary Entries Near assignment
Cite this entry.
“Assignment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/assignment. Accessed 26 Sep. 2024.
Legal Definition
Legal definition of assignment, more from merriam-webster on assignment.
Nglish: Translation of assignment for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of assignment for Arabic Speakers
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Other forms: assignments
Whether you’re an international spy with a new mission or a high school student with math homework — when you get an assignment , you’d better do it! An assignment is a task that someone in authority has asked you to do.
The word assignment is just the noun form of the common verb assign , which you use when you want to give someone a duty or a job. When you assign something, that something is called an assignment . The word can also refer to the act of distributing something. If you are distributing new office furniture at work, you might say, “ Assignment of the new chairs will begin tomorrow.”
- noun an undertaking that you have been assigned to do (as by an instructor) see more see less types: show 6 types... hide 6 types... school assignment , schoolwork a school task performed by a student to satisfy the teacher writing assignment , written assignment an assignment to write something classroom project a school task requiring considerable effort classwork the part of a student's work that is done in the classroom homework , prep , preparation preparatory school work done outside school (especially at home) lesson a task assigned for individual study type of: labor , project , task , undertaking any piece of work that is undertaken or attempted
- noun a duty that you are assigned to perform (especially in the armed forces) “a hazardous assignment ” synonyms: duty assignment see more see less types: show 10 types... hide 10 types... guard , guard duty , sentry duty , sentry go the duty of serving as a sentry fatigue , fatigue duty labor of a nonmilitary kind done by soldiers (cleaning or digging or draining or so on) charge , commission , mission a special assignment that is given to a person or group reassignment assignment to a different duty sea-duty , service abroad , shipboard duty naval service aboard a ship at sea shore duty naval service at land bases fool's errand a fruitless mission mission impossible an extremely dangerous or difficult mission martyr operation , sacrifice operation , suicide mission killing or injuring others while annihilating yourself; usually accomplished with a bomb secondment the detachment of a person from their regular organization for temporary assignment elsewhere type of: duty work that you are obliged to perform for moral or legal reasons
- noun the act of putting a person into a non-elective position synonyms: appointment , designation , naming see more see less types: show 6 types... hide 6 types... nomination the act of officially naming a candidate co-optation , co-option the act of appointing summarily (with or without the appointee's consent) delegacy the appointment of a delegate ordinance , ordination the act of ordaining; the act of conferring (or receiving) holy orders recognition designation by the chair granting a person the right to speak in a deliberative body laying on of hands laying hands on a person's head to invoke spiritual blessing in Christian ordination type of: conclusion , decision , determination the act of making up your mind about something
- noun the act of distributing something to designated places or persons “the first task is the assignment of an address to each datum” synonyms: assigning see more see less types: allocation , storage allocation (computer science) the assignment of particular areas of a magnetic disk to particular data or instructions type of: distribution the act of distributing or spreading or apportioning
- noun (law) a transfer of property by deed of conveyance synonyms: grant see more see less types: apanage , appanage a grant (by a sovereign or a legislative body) of resources to maintain a dependent member of a ruling family land grant a grant of public land (as to a railway or college) type of: transferred possession , transferred property a possession whose ownership changes or lapses
- noun the instrument by which a claim or right or interest or property is transferred from one person to another see more see less type of: instrument , legal document , legal instrument , official document (law) a document that states some contractual relationship or grants some right
Vocabulary lists containing assignment
The Dawes Act, or General Allotment Act of 1887, was a law that allowed the U.S. government to take Native American tribal lands and divide them into 40 acre lots for individual Native Americans. The goal was to break up communal tribal lands and speed the assimilation of Native Americans into American society. The Dawes Act caused great suffering with much of the land winding up in the hands of white settlers.
Learn these words from the autobiography by David Lubar (Inside: Level B, Unit 4). Here are our links to the selections of "Every Body Is a Winner": The Human Machine; My Fabulous Footprint , The Beat Goes On; All Pumped Up , Two Left Feet, Two Left Hands , How Coach Told Me; Bionics Here are our links to the units of Level B: Unit 1 , Unit 2 , Unit 3 , Unit 4 , Unit 5 , Unit 6 , Unit 7 , Unit 8 Here are our links to the Inside books: Level A , Level B , Level C Here is our link to a list of academic vocabulary for Inside: Academic Vocabulary
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Definition of assignment noun from the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary
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- 2 [ uncountable ] the act of giving something to someone; the act of giving someone a particular task his assignment to other duties in the same company
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as·sign·ment
As•sign•ment.
An assignment is a task that someone is given to do, usually as part of their job.
An assignment is also a piece of academic work given to students.
In American English, an assignment is also a piece of work given to students to do at home.
Work given to schoolchildren to do at home is also called homework .
Be Careful! Homework is an uncountable noun. You do not talk about 'homeworks' or 'a homework'. Note that you do not say ' I have made my homework '. You say 'I have done my homework'.
| - a duty that you are assigned to perform (especially in the armed forces); "hazardous duty" - work that you are obliged to perform for moral or legal reasons; "the duties of the job" , , , - the duty of serving as a sentry; "he was on guard that night" , - labor of a nonmilitary kind done by soldiers (cleaning or digging or draining or so on); "the soldiers were put on fatigue to teach them a lesson"; "they were assigned to kitchen fatigues" , , - a special assignment that is given to a person or group; "a confidential mission to London"; "his charge was deliver a message" - assignment to a different duty , , - naval service aboard a ship at sea - naval service at land bases | ||
| - the instrument by which a claim or right or interest or property is transferred from one person to another , , , - (law) a document that states some contractual relationship or grants some right , - the collection of rules imposed by authority; "civilization presupposes respect for the law"; "the great problem for jurisprudence to allow freedom while enforcing order" | ||
| - the act of distributing something to designated places or persons; "the first task is the assignment of an address to each datum" , - (computer science) the assignment of particular areas of a magnetic disk to particular data or instructions - the act of distributing or spreading or apportioning | ||
| - (law) a transfer of property by deed of conveyance , - the collection of rules imposed by authority; "civilization presupposes respect for the law"; "the great problem for jurisprudence to allow freedom while enforcing order" , - a possession whose ownership changes or lapses , - a grant (by a sovereign or a legislative body) of resources to maintain a dependent member of a ruling family; "bishoprics were received as appanages for the younger sons of great families" - a grant of public land (as to a railway or college) | ||
| - an undertaking that you have been assigned to do (as by an instructor) , - a school task performed by a student to satisfy the teacher , , , - any piece of work that is undertaken or attempted; "he prepared for great undertakings" , - an assignment to write something | ||
| - the act of putting a person into a non-elective position; "the appointment had to be approved by the whole committee" , , , , - the act of making up your mind about something; "the burden of decision was his"; "he drew his conclusions quickly" - the act of officially naming a candidate; "the Republican nomination for Governor" , - the act of appointing summarily (with or without the appointee's consent) - the appointment of a delegate , - the act of ordaining; the act of conferring (or receiving) holy orders; "the rabbi's family was present for his ordination" - designation by the chair granting a person the right to speak in a deliberative body; "he was unable to make his motion because he couldn't get recognition by the chairman" |
- admeasurement
- all nighter
- annual training
- anthropopathism
- anthropopathy
- anthropophuism
- anthropopsychism
- appointment
- apportionment
- apportionment (air)
- assignation
- Assignment of dower
- assibilation
- Assideanism
- assiduously
- assiduousness
- assignability
- assigned risk
- assimilability
- assimilable
- assimilating
- assimilation
- assimilationism
- assimilationist
- assimilative
- assimilator
- assimilatory
- Assimulation
- Assiniboine
- Assiniboine Mount
- Assiniboine River
- assistance dog
- assistance mechanism
- assigned to you
- assigning to
- Assignment (computer science)
- Assignment (education)
- Assignment (law)
- Assignment Action Number
- Assignment and Analysis of Broadband Spectra
- Assignment and Justification Questionnaire
- Assignment and Lease
- Assignment and Licensing System
- Assignment and Transmittal Document
- Assignment Area
- Assignment Availability Code
- Assignment by Choice
- Assignment Capsule
- Assignment Capsules
- Assignment Clause, Life Insurance
- Assignment Completed
- Assignment Consideration
- Assignment Control Authority
- Assignment Control Number
- Assignment Coordination Group
- Assignment Data Card
- Assignment Date
- Assignment Eligibility & Availability
- Assignment for benefit of creditors
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Online Language Dictionaries
| '; audChoice = audChoice.replace(/ selected=["']selected["']/gm, '');var audT = document.getElementById('audT');if ((audT) && (audPref)) { //Parse the content if(audPref.indexOf(':') > -1) { var audPrefAccent = audPref.split(':')[0]; var playbackRate = audPref.split(':')[1]; } else { var audPrefAccent = audPref; var playbackRate = 1; } var re = new RegExp('( UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/əˈsaɪnmənt/US:USA pronunciation: IPA and respellingUSA pronunciation: IPA/əˈsaɪnmənt/ ,USA pronunciation: respelling(ə sīn mənt) | | | | | | | WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2024 as•sign•ment n. [ ] WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2024 as•sign•ment mənt),USA pronunciation n. See assign, -ment 1350–1400 obligation, job. See /əˈsaɪnmənt/ n ' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations): - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - , , , , , , , , a [position, work] assignment, is on [a special, an undercover] assignment, was [given, sent on] a special assignment, Forum discussions with the word(s) "assignment" in the title: Go to page and choose from different actions for taps or mouse clicks. In other languages: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
What is the meaning of "assignment"?Word origin, reassignment.
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What does the noun assignment mean?There are 14 meanings listed in OED's entry for the noun assignment , six of which are labelled obsolete. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence. assignment has developed meanings and uses in subjects including Entry statusOED is undergoing a continuous programme of revision to modernize and improve definitions. This entry has not yet been fully revised. How common is the noun assignment ?
How is the noun assignment pronounced?British english, u.s. english, where does the noun assignment come from. Earliest known use Middle English The earliest known use of the noun assignment is in the Middle English period (1150—1500). OED's earliest evidence for assignment is from 1393, in the writing of John Gower, poet. assignment is a borrowing from French . Etymons: French assignement . Nearby entries
Thank you for visiting Oxford English Dictionary To continue reading, please sign in below or purchase a subscription. After purchasing, please sign in below to access the content. Meaning & usePronunciation, compounds & derived words, entry history for assignment, n.. assignment, n. was first published in 1885; not yet revised. assignment, n. was last modified in June 2024. Revision of the OED is a long-term project. Entries in oed.com which have not been revised may include:
Revisions and additions of this kind were last incorporated into assignment, n. in June 2024. Earlier versions of this entry were published in: OED First Edition (1885)
OED Second Edition (1989)
Please submit your feedback for assignment, n. Please include your email address if you are happy to be contacted about your feedback. OUP will not use this email address for any other purpose. Citation detailsFactsheet for assignment, n., browse entry. Definition of 'assign' It seems that your browser is blocking this video content. To access it, add this site to the exceptions or modify your security settings, then refresh this page.  assign in British EnglishAssign in american english, examples of 'assign' in a sentence assign, cobuild collocations assign, trends of assign. View usage for: All Years Last 10 years Last 50 years Last 100 years Last 300 years In other languages assign
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Meaning of assignment in Essential English DictionaryYour browser doesn't support HTML5 audio (Definition of assignment from the Cambridge Essential Dictionary © Cambridge University Press) Translations of assignmentGet a quick, free translation!  Word of the Day nine to five describing or relating to work that begins at nine o'clock in the morning and finishes at five, the hours worked in many offices from Monday to Friday  It’s as clear as mud! (Words and expressions that mean ‘difficult to understand’)  Learn more with +Plus
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ASSIGNMENT definition: 1. a piece of work given to someone, typically as part of their studies or job: 2. a job that…. Learn more.
The meaning of ASSIGNMENT is the act of assigning something. How to use assignment in a sentence. Synonym Discussion of Assignment.
7 meanings: 1. something that has been assigned, such as a mission or task 2. a position or post to which a person is assigned.... Click for more definitions.
Assignment definition: something assigned, as a particular task or duty. See examples of ASSIGNMENT used in a sentence.
An assignment is a task that someone in authority has asked you to do. SKIP TO CONTENT. Learn; Dictionary; Vocabulary Lists; ... Spanish-English dictionary, translator, and learning. Diccionario inglés-español, traductor y sitio de aprendizaje. Fast and accurate language certification.
A complete guide to the word "ASSIGNMENT": definitions, pronunciations, synonyms, grammar insights, collocations, examples, and translations.
Assignment definition: something assigned, as a particular task or duty. See examples of ASSIGNMENT used in a sentence.
Definition of assignment noun in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.
ASSIGNMENT definition: a piece of work or job that you are given to do: . Learn more.
Definition of assignment noun in Oxford Advanced American Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more. ... Find out which words work together and produce more natural-sounding English with the Oxford Collocations Dictionary app. Try it for free as part of the Oxford Advanced Learner ...
From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English Related topics: Education assignment as‧sign‧ment / əˈsaɪnmənt / S2 AWL noun 1 [countable, uncountable] JOB/TASK a piece of work that is given to someone as part of their job on an assignment She's gone to Italy on a special assignment. on assignment He was killed while on assignment ...
ASSIGNMENT meaning: 1. a piece of work given to someone, typically as part of their studies or job: 2. a job that…. Learn more.
Define assignment. assignment synonyms, assignment pronunciation, assignment translation, English dictionary definition of assignment. n. 1. The act of assigning: His assignment of the tasks seemed unfair. 2. Something, such as a task, that is assigned: What's the math assignment for...
assignment - WordReference English dictionary, questions, discussion and forums. All Free.
a task or piece of work allocated to someone as part of a job or course of study a homework assignment (mass noun) the allocation of a job or task to someone the effective assignment of tasks 2. ( mass noun ) the allocation of someone or something as belonging to a particular group or category the assignment of individuals to particular social ...
All you need to know about "ASSIGNMENT" in one place: definitions, pronunciations, synonyms, grammar insights, collocations, examples, and translations.
1. : a job or duty that is given to someone : a task someone is required to do. [count] My assignment was to clean the equipment. = They gave me the assignment of cleaning the equipment. The students were given a homework assignment. The reporter's assignment is to interview the candidate. The reporter is here on an assignment.
assignment meaning: a piece of work or job that you are given to do: . Learn more.
Assignment definition: The act of assigning. Dictionary Thesaurus Sentences Grammar ... Words Near Assignment in the Dictionary assignation; assigned; assigned risk; assignee; assigner; assigning; assignment; assignment of error; assignment operator; assignment operators; assignor;
What does the noun assignment mean? There are 14 meanings listed in OED's entry for the noun assignment, six of which are labelled obsolete. See 'Meaning & use' for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence. ... Thank you for visiting Oxford English Dictionary. To continue reading, please sign in below or purchase a subscription. After ...
ASSIGN definition: 1. to give a particular job or piece of work to someone: 2. If you assign a time for a job or…. Learn more.
9 meanings: 1. to select for and appoint to a post, etc 2. to give out or allot (a task, problem, etc) 3. to set apart (a.... Click for more definitions.
ASSIGNMENT definition: a piece of work or a job that someone gives you to do: . Learn more.