definition meaning for assignment

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Other forms: assigned; assigns; assigning

To assign is to specify something or someone for a specific purpose. If your sisters fight over whose turn it is to sit in the front seat, your parents may have to assign turns.

The verb assign also means to transfer legal rights. You assign the deed to your house to new owners when you sell it. If you sort things into categories by characteristics, you are assigning them categories. When you make a budget, you assign each expense a category. Food and housing, for example, may be essential living expenses and medicine and doctor's visits may be health care. Chocolate gets its own category.

• verb select something or someone for a specific purpose “The teacher assigned him to lead his classmates in the exercise” synonyms: set apart , specify see more see less types: dedicate set apart to sacred uses with solemn rites, of a church detail assign to a specific task type of: choose , pick out , select , take pick out, select, or choose from a number of alternatives
• verb give an assignment to (a person) to a post, or assign a task to (a person) synonyms: delegate , depute , designate see more see less types: show 27 types... hide 27 types... mandate assign authority to cast select to play,sing, or dance a part in a play, movie, musical, opera, or ballet post assign to a post; put into a post cast assign the roles of (a movie or a play) to actors devolve pass on or delegate to another task assign a task to place place somebody in a particular situation or location regiment assign to a regiment reassign , transfer transfer somebody to a different position or location of work delegate , depute transfer power to someone mandate assign under a mandate advance , elevate , kick upstairs , promote , raise , upgrade give a promotion to or assign to a higher position break , bump , demote , kick downstairs , relegate assign to a lower position; reduce in rank place assign to (a job or a home) recast cast again, in a different role miscast cast an actor, singer, or dancer in an unsuitable role typecast cast repeatedly in the same kind of role second transfer an employee to a different, temporary assignment exchange hand over one and receive another, approximately equivalent tenure give life-time employment to bring up promote from a lower position or rank spot promote promote on the spot ennoble , entitle , gentle give a title to someone; make someone a member of the nobility sideline remove from the center of activity or attention; place into an inferior position reduce bring to humbler or weaker state or condition favor , favour , prefer promote or prefer over another brevet promote somebody by brevet, in the military type of: appoint , charge assign a duty, responsibility, or obligation to
• verb decide as to where something belongs in a scheme “The biologist assigned the mushroom to the proper class” synonyms: attribute see more see less types: classify , relegate assign to a class or kind type of: evaluate , judge , pass judgment form a critical opinion of
• verb give out “We were assigned new uniforms” synonyms: allot , portion see more see less types: show 5 types... hide 5 types... allow , appropriate , earmark , reserve , set aside give or assign a resource to a particular person or cause allocate , apportion distribute according to a plan or set apart for a special purpose reallocate , reapportion allocate, distribute, or apportion anew ration , ration out distribute in rations, as in the army award , present give, especially as an honor or reward type of: administer , allot , deal , deal out , dish out , dispense , distribute , dole , dole out , lot , mete , mete out , parcel out , shell out administer or bestow, as in small portions
• verb attribute or give synonyms: put see more see less types: repose put or confide something in a person or thing type of: apply , employ , use , utilise , utilize put into service; make work or employ for a particular purpose or for its inherent or natural purpose
• verb attribute or credit to synonyms: ascribe , attribute , impute impute attribute (responsibility or fault) to a cause or source see more see less types: show 10 types... hide 10 types... impute attribute (responsibility or fault) to a cause or source carnalise , carnalize , sensualise , sensualize ascribe to an origin in sensation credit give someone credit for something reattribute attribute to another source anthropomorphise , anthropomorphize ascribe human features to something personate , personify attribute human qualities to something accredit , credit ascribe an achievement to blame , charge attribute responsibility to externalise , externalize , project regard as objective interiorise , interiorize , internalise , internalize incorporate within oneself; make subjective or personal type of: evaluate , judge , pass judgment form a critical opinion of
• verb transfer one's right to see more see less type of: transfer cause to change ownership
• verb make undue claims to having synonyms: arrogate see more see less type of: arrogate , claim , lay claim demand as being one's due or property; assert one's right or title to

Vocabulary lists containing assign

Vocabulary from "Beowulf" (translated by by Gummere).

Based on the true story of Navajo code talkers, this novel recounts the exploits of Ned Begay, a sixteen-year-old Navajo soldier in World War II. Ned's language skills prove to be invaluable as the Americans work to send secret messages to help them in their fight.

This collection of autobiographical short stories by Francisco Jiménez explores the immigrant experience in the United States.

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What does assignment mean?

Definitions for assignment əˈsaɪn mənt as·sign·ment, this dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word assignment ., princeton's wordnet rate this definition: 4.0 / 1 vote.

assignment, duty assignment noun

a duty that you are assigned to perform (especially in the armed forces)

"hazardous duty"

• assignment noun

the instrument by which a claim or right or interest or property is transferred from one person to another

assignment, assigning noun

the act of distributing something to designated places or persons

"the first task is the assignment of an address to each datum"

grant, assignment noun

(law) a transfer of property by deed of conveyance

an undertaking that you have been assigned to do (as by an instructor)

appointment, assignment, designation, naming noun

the act of putting a person into a non-elective position

"the appointment had to be approved by the whole committee"

Wiktionary Rate this definition: 1.0 / 1 vote

the act of assigning, or an assigned task

a position to which someone is assigned

a task given to students, homework or coursework

a transfer of something from one person to another, especially property, or a claim or right; the document that effects this transfer

an operation that assigns a value to a variable

Etymology: assignement

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary Rate this definition: 0.0 / 0 votes

Assignment noun

Appointment of one thing with regard to another thing or person.

Etymology: from assign.

The only thing which maketh any place publick, is the publick assignment thereof unto such duties. Richard Hooker , b. v. § 12.

This institution, which assigns it to a person, whom we have no rule to know, is just as good as an assignment to no body at all. John Locke.

ChatGPT Rate this definition: 0.0 / 0 votes

An assignment is a task or duty that is given or assigned to someone, often as part of their job or academic work. It refers to the allocation of responsibilities or roles to individuals or groups, usually within the context of projects, homework, or duties. Assignment can also refer to the act of transferring rights, property or obligations from one party to another.

Webster Dictionary Rate this definition: 4.0 / 1 vote

an allotting or an appointment to a particular person or use; or for a particular time, as of a cause or causes in court

a transfer of title or interest by writing, as of lease, bond, note, or bill of exchange; a transfer of the whole of some particular estate or interest in lands

the writing by which an interest is transferred

the transfer of the property of a bankrupt to certain persons called assignees, in whom it is vested for the benefit of creditors

Etymology: [LL. assignamentum: cf. OF. assenement.]

Wikidata Rate this definition: 0.0 / 0 votes

In computer programming, an assignment statement sets and/or re-sets the value stored in the storage location denoted by a variable name, in other words, it copies the value into the variable. In most imperative programming languages, the assignment statement is a fundamental construct. Today, the most commonly used notation for this basic operation has come to be x = expr followed by x := expr, although there are many other notations in use. In some languages the symbol used is regarded as an operator while others define the assignment as a statement. Assignments typically allow a variable to hold different values at different times during its life-span and scope. However, some languages does not allow that kind of "destructive" re-assignment, as it might imply changes of non-local state. The purpose is to enforce referential transparency, i.e. functions that do not depend on the state of some variable, but produce the same results for a given set of parametric inputs at any point in time. Modern programs in other languages also often use similar strategies, although less strict, and only in certain parts, in order to reduce complexity, normally in conjunction with complementing methodologies such as data structuring, structured programming and object orientation.

Military Dictionary and Gazetteer Rate this definition: 0.0 / 0 votes

If, upon marches, guards, or in quarters, different corps of the army shall happen to join or do duty together, the officer highest in rank of the line of the army, marine corps, or militia, by commission, there on duty or in quarters, shall command the whole, and give orders for what is needful to the service, unless otherwise specially directed by the President of the United States, according to the nature of the case. See Appendix, Articles of War, 122.

Editors Contribution Rate this definition: 0.0 / 0 votes

A specific task or goal assigned to a person or team to achieve.

The assignment is easy and simple to complete.

Submitted by MaryC on March 13, 2020  

Suggested Resources Rate this definition: 0.0 / 0 votes

Song lyrics by assignment -- Explore a large variety of song lyrics performed by assignment on the Lyrics.com website.

Matched Categories

• Legal Document
• Transferred Property
• Undertaking

British National Corpus

Written Corpus Frequency

Rank popularity for the word 'assignment' in Written Corpus Frequency: #3553

Nouns Frequency

Rank popularity for the word 'assignment' in Nouns Frequency: #2041

Usage in printed sources From:  

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How to pronounce assignment?

Alex US English David US English Mark US English Daniel British Libby British Mia British Karen Australian Hayley Australian Natasha Australian Veena Indian Priya Indian Neerja Indian Zira US English Oliver British Wendy British Fred US English Tessa South African

How to say assignment in sign language?

Chaldean Numerology

The numerical value of assignment in Chaldean Numerology is: 7

Pythagorean Numerology

The numerical value of assignment in Pythagorean Numerology is: 4

Examples of assignment in a Sentence

Jocelyne Harding Beach :

We both travelled a lot, he went on assignment often for the CIA, and that first Christmas, I remember he was gone for three months on an assignment to Laos, and that was tough.

James Blake :

I know they put him on modified assignment , which is a good first step, but I do think there needs to be more actions taken, it’s not his first brush with a civilian complaint. I don’t think this is his first time doing this. I don’t think this is one error in judgment. I think it’s a pattern and it needs to be corrected.

Angelica Varela :

The black-footed ferrets prey on prairie dogs so it was once thought that elimination programs for the dogs, considered a nuisance to farmers and ranchers, were impacting the ferret population. Now, there was a concerted effort by the state to rebuild the black-footed ferret population. On a recent day, volunteers made their way to small-town Seligman and met for training on the first night inside a rented home in a rural neighborhood that Arizona Game and Fish uses for the operation. One of those volunteers is Robert Coonrod, who bought a pick-up truck and rigged it with overhead lights specifically for the night-time searches. Robert Coonrod has been volunteering for five years. Though hes not a biologist, he enjoys helping out wildlife and found a new photography hobby while volunteering. HUNTERS TURN TO HIPSTERS TO HELP BOOST SPORTS DECLINING NUMBERS One of the volunteers is Robert Coonrod, who bought a pick-up truck and rigged it with overhead lights specifically for the night-time searches. ( Fox News) Were looking for a ferret to be outside his hole. We drive down, he gets curious, looks at the lights, you see the green eyes shine, and then its off to the races, Robert Coonrod said. Once the animalis spotted, volunteers run towardit and set up a trap. But they have to first hopscotch around prairie dog burrows that dot the landscape. Sometimes it can be very entertaining watching people run across a prairie dog colony because youre so focused on the ferret that you forget about all these holes on the ground, Holly Hicks said. Yeah, every one of us has tripped and fallen in a prairie dog hole after chasing after a ferret. ARIZONA MAN PICKED UP NEWBORN FAWN, TOOK IT TO LOCAL BAR, OFFICIALS SAY With freezing temperates on the first night of the search, around 10 of the volunteers showed up, including Arizona State Univerisity biology graduate Angelica Varela, who will soon be starting an internship with Bird Conservancy of the Rockies. With freezing temperates on the first night of the search, around 10 of the volunteers showed up( Fox News)( When I started) volunteering( for other wildlife organizations) and really getting boots on the ground and realizing the hard work that actually goes into it, its really important and its really satisfying being able to know that you had a part in helping a species, as conservation work, I mean were doing this so that eventually we dont have to keep doing it. Angelica Varela drove up from Phoenix with Angelica Varela friend, Brandi Kapos, who is an Olive Garden waitress and an Arizona State Univerisity conservation biology graduate. Shes looking to return to school to get a masters degree in Geographic Information Systems. Before Angelica Varela and Brandi Kapos got their assignment from Jennifer Cordova for the night, they said they had energy drinks and candy. Angelica Varela said Angelica Varela was pumped. With freezing temperates on the first night of the search, around 10 of the volunteers showed up, including Arizona State Univerisity biology graduates Angelica Varela and Brandi Kapos. ( Fox News) Jennifer Cordova said the goal is to get the black-footed ferret off the endangered species list. Fox News important because wildlife dont have a say -- theydont have a voice out there, Holly Hicks said. So, its people like us who manage and try to keep that voice out there and people aware. Our passion comes from a lot of places. We love animals. We want to see wildlife in the future for future generations. Only found in North America, this wild animal differs from the European pet ferrets that are domesticated. The black-footed ferret was once thought extinct until 18 were found in 1981. Since then, recovery and breeding efforts have helped the black-footed ferret population grow. I kind of feel like its our duty.

John Lennon :

When I was five years old my mother told me that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down “happy.” They told me I didn’t understand the assignment . I told them they didn’t understand life.

Michael Gulick :

We all said to them,' No, we are not refusing the assignment , but we are refusing to take care of these patients without being offered the minimal protection of the N95 mask,' and they said,' We can not provide that to you.'.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

• ^  Princeton's WordNet http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=assignment
• ^  Wiktionary https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Assignment
• ^  Samuel Johnson's Dictionary https://johnsonsdictionaryonline.com/views/search.php?term=assignment
• ^  ChatGPT https://chat.openai.com
• ^  Webster Dictionary https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/assignment
• ^  Wikidata https://www.wikidata.org/w/index.php?search=assignment
• ^  Military Dictionary and Gazetteer https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/59563/pg59563-images.html
• ^  Usage in printed sources https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=assignment

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Image credit, the web's largest resource for, definitions & translations, a member of the stands4 network, free, no signup required :, add to chrome, add to firefox, browse definitions.net, are you a words master, proceed or issue forth, as from a source, Nearby & related entries:.

• assigned risk
• assigned servant
• assignee noun
• assigning noun
• assignment (law)
• assignment of pay
• assignment problem
• assignment writing help uk
• assignments

Alternative searches for assignment :

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Assignments

• by teachmint@wp

What is assignment in education? Assignment meaning is the tasks given to students by their teachers and tutors to complete in a defined time. They can also be referred to as the work given to someone as a part of learning. Assignments can be in the form of written, practical, art or fieldwork, or even online. Their purpose is to ensure that students understand the subject matter thoroughly.

Generally, students are assigned a task as a part of their homework. The allocation of assignments is not only restricted to a class or subject but this method can be applied at any stage of life. They are a great way to judge the ability and understanding of an individual towards a subject matter.

The culture of providing homework starts from kindergarten in various forms. Small children are asked to read and write what they learn in the class. Students in the higher class are given work as a part of their revision exercise and help them prepare for exams. Individuals doing honors write journals as a part of an assignment that determines their knowledge in that subject.

The structure of assignments depends upon the nature of the task and subject. They must be well-researched, including case studies or examples within a proper framework. These studies are useful for students to achieve the desired examination results. It also helps them to concentrate better on education. Knowing what is assignment in education helps teachers assess students better.

Importance of Assignments

Giving assignments to the students is a crucial part of student assessment. The importance of giving assignments to the students is discussed in detail below:

• Learning practical skills Assignments enable students to develop new skills. In order to complete the assignments, students learn new skills which help them in their academic careers. 
• Enhances time management skills Whenever assignments are allocated to the students, a time limit is set by teachers within which the assignment has to be submitted. What is assignment in education enable students to complete their tasks and learn timely submission of work. 
• Learning researching skills Students tend to do a lot of research about the questions given in the assignment. Assignment meaning is to help them develop their research skills and come in handy in their future careers. 
• Enhance the Writing Caliber Many students have a problem of not being able to put their thoughts into words. Writing assignments can help them develop writing skills and be expressive in real life as well. 

Since assignments are deadline-based, they help students take responsibility and manage time. The work assigned to students may be individual or group activities, or both, to develop teamwork in them. 

The above-mentioned information gives us a context of assignment meaning and its importance to the students. Assignments provide a basis for the student assessment and should be given timely.  

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Word of the Day

Word of the day.

a person who begins to learn late in life

Why Dictionary.com chose opsimath

More about opsimath.

• Formed from the Greek opsimathēs , from opse , “late” + -mathēs , adj. derivative of manthánein , “learn.”
• Compare with polymath  and chrestomathy .

EXAMPLES OF OPSIMATH

• The opsimath eagerly enrolled in university courses, proving that it’s never too late to learn. As an opsimath , she enjoyed challenging herself with new academic subjects well into her senior years.

characterized by great knowledge; learned or scholarly

Why Dictionary.com chose erudite

More about erudite.

• First recorded between 1375–1425.
• From Latin ērudītus , equivalent to ērud(ē)- ( ē- , intensive prefix + rud-, “unformed, rough, rude”) + -ītus , adjective suffix.
• See origin at e- 1 , rude , -ite 2 .

EXAMPLES OF ERUDITE

• She impressed the interview panel with her erudite responses, showcasing her extensive knowledge of the subject.
• During the debate, his erudite arguments made it clear he had thoroughly researched the topic.

foolish or silly behavior

Why Dictionary.com chose tomfoolery

More about tomfoolery.

• First recorded in 1805–15; see tomfool + -ery .

EXAMPLES OF TOMFOOLERY

• Their constant tomfoolery at the party made everyone laugh, though some found it slightly annoying.
• The office meeting was interrupted by a round of tomfoolery that lightened the mood.

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• Cambridge Dictionary +Plus

Meaning of assign in English

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assign verb [T] ( CHOOSE )

• Every available officer will be assigned to the investigation .
• The textbooks were assigned by the course director .
• Part of the group was assigned to clear land mines .
• Each trainee is assigned a mentor who will help them learn more about the job .
• We were assigned an interpreter for the duration of our stay .
• accommodate
• accommodate someone with something
• administration
• arm someone with something
• hand something around
• hand something back
• hand something down
• hand something in
• put something on
• re-equipment
• reassignment

You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:

assign verb [T] ( SEND )

• She was assigned to the Paris office .
• All the team was assigned to Poland.
• advertisement
• employment agency
• recruitment drive
• reinstatement
• relocation expenses

assign verb [T] ( COMPUTING )

• 3-D printing
• adaptive learning
• additive manufacturing
• hexadecimal
• hill climbing
• techno-solutionism
• word processing

assign verb [T] ( GIVE LEGALLY )

Phrasal verb, assign | intermediate english, assign | business english, examples of assign, translations of assign.

Get a quick, free translation!

Word of the Day

skip out on something

to avoid doing something that you should do; to leave someone when they need your help

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Legal scholars warn SCOTUS could "manipulate" immunity definition to torpedo new Trump indictment

"the supreme court has been very creative in protecting maga misdeeds," legal scholar says, by marina villeneuve.

The Supreme Court's lack of clarity in its presidential immunity ruling's definition of "official" conduct leaves room for former President Donald Trump to fight the refiled indictment alleging he conspired to thwart the results of the 2020 presidential election.

On Tuesday, Special Counsel Jack Smith filed a slimmed down indictment — which he secured from a grand jury that only heard streamlined evidence. 

Smith's new indictment again includes four felony charges against Trump but excluded evidence concerning Trump's official conduct in office, including the removal of former DOJ official Jeff Clark and his alleged efforts to place him in control of the department to pursue his election fraud claims.

Legal observers say the refiled indictment has an overall stronger chance of holding up on appeal by excluding evidence that appears to fall squarely into the Supreme Court's definition of official conduct in last month's ruling.

But some legal experts warn that the refiled indictment isn't a slam dunk.

"It’s not clear whether this will work, because on appeal the Supreme Court can manipulate the category of official conduct to create a broader immunity covering other elements of the indictment," said Syracuse University law professor David Driesen, an expert in constitutional law and the author of the book “The Specter of Dictatorship: Judicial Enabling of Presidential Power.”

In July, the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that presidents have "absolute immunity from criminal prosecution" for acts that fall within the "exercise of his core constitutional powers he took when in office."

Presidents, according to the ruling, have "at least presumptive" immunity from other official acts, and no immunity for unofficial acts.

In a section of the ruling that drew 5-4 support from justices, the ruling also stated that prosecutors can't present evidence of official acts when charging former presidents.

Dissenting justices warned that the ruling would empower presidents to use their official power for political and private reasons to escape accountability.

And Dreisen said the ruling still leaves room for Trump to topple any convictions.

“It’s difficult to know whether Trump will end up in prison or not," Dreisen said. "The Supreme Court has been very creative in protecting MAGA misdeeds. It ruled, for example, that invading the Capitol is not an obstruction of an official proceeding, thereby wiping out some criminal convictions of Jan. 6 insurrectionists."

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Dreisen added that the fact that Smith felt he had to refile the indictment in the first place is troubling.

“The Supreme Court ruling clearly overrode longstanding constitutional norms forbidding presidents from issuing orders to investigate political opponents or to challenge election results," Dreisen said. "The forcing of these amendments to the indictment highlights how the high court has opened the door wide to autocracy.”

University of Texas Law professor Lee Kovarsky said the indictment is "weaker than what it was."

"The allegations about Jeffrey Clark and Trump's attempt to have DOJ intimidate states with false accusations about widespread voter fraud was extremely incriminating, and now it's gone," he said on X.

He called the new indictment a "smart move" — but agreed that Trump could dispute how Smith characterized and described his alleged conduct.

"Amendments to the [superseding indictment] ensure that DOJ won't accidentally plead itself into an immunity problem, but the Trump folks will still have a chance to dispute the [superseding indictment's] characterization of various conduct, in an attempt to have it designated as official, & potentially immunized," Kovarsky wrote.

Trump has  complained that the superseded indictment violates the DOJ's practice of avoid filing new criminal charges or undertaking investigative activities within 60 days of an election.

But former federal prosecutor and University of Michigan Law School professor Barb McQuade told Salon: "These are not new charges or new investigative activity, but rather following the guidance of the Supreme Court to advance a pending case."

McQuade noted that Smith included Trump‘s conduct to pressure Mike Pence to block the certification of the election.

"Smith characterizes Pence as acting in his role as president of the Senate when counting votes, but I expect Trump to argue that any conversations between him and the vice president is core executive activity," McQuade said. "This is the only set of allegations that strike me as potentially protected by immunity. The remaining allegations seem to be clearly unofficial acts that should be fair game for prosecution."

If Trump wins, McQuade expects he'll direct his attorney general to dismiss the case.

Otherwise, she said it's likely the case will go up to the Supreme Court before any trial as the court figures out how to apply the immunity ruling to the allegations.

"That means trial in this case likely will not occur until a year or so from now," she said. 

about Trump's legal cases

• Jack Smith responds to Supreme Court immunity ruling by re-indicting Trump
• Legal expert: SCOTUS "invented a new rule" that could even give Trump immunity for "unofficial acts"
• "Narrow ruling": Legal scholar says Supreme Court Jan. 6 decision won't save Trump

Marina Villeneuve is a staff reporter for Salon covering Trump's legal battles and other national news focusing on major legal and political narratives.

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