First Known Use: 13th century
Dictionary
1assign
verb as·sign \ə-ˈsīn\
: to give someone a particular job or duty : to require someone to do a particular task
: to send (someone) to a particular group or place as part of a job
: to give out something : to provide someone with something
Full Definition of ASSIGN
transitive verb
1
: to transfer (property) to another especially in trust or for the benefit of creditors
2
a : to appoint to a post or duty <assigned them to light duty> <assigned me two clerks> b : to appoint as a duty or task <assigns 20 pages for homework>
3
: to fix or specify in correspondence or relationship <assign counsel to the defendant> <assign a value to the variable>
4
a : to ascribe as a motive, reason, or cause especially after deliberation b : to consider to belong to (a specified period of time)
— as·sign·abil·i·ty \-ˌsī-nə-ˈbi-lə-tē\ noun
— as·sign·able \-ˈsī-nə-bəl\ adjective
— as·sign·er \ə-ˈsī-nər\ or as·sign·or \ˌa-sə-ˈnȯr, ˌa-ˌsī-, ə-ˌsī-\ noun
See assign defined for English-language learners
See assign defined for kids
ADVERTISEMENT
Origin of ASSIGN
Middle English, from Anglo-French assigner, from Latin assignare, from ad- + signare to mark, from signum mark, sign
Related to ASSIGN
Synonym Discussion of ASSIGN
ascribe, attribute, assign, impute, credit mean to lay something to the account of a person or thing. ascribe suggests an inferring or conjecturing of cause, quality, authorship <forged paintings formerly ascribed to masters>. attribute suggests less tentativeness than ascribe , less definiteness than assign <attributed to Rembrandt but possibly done by an associate>. assign implies ascribing with certainty or after deliberation <assigned the bones to the Cretaceous period>. impute suggests ascribing something that brings discredit by way of accusation or blame <tried to impute sinister motives to my actions>. credit implies ascribing a thing or especially an action to a person or other thing as its agent, source, or explanation <credited his teammates for his success>.
Rhymes with ASSIGN
A-line, affine, airline, align, alkyne, alpine, at sign, balkline, baseline, beeline, benign, bloodline, blue line, blush wine, bovine, bowline, branchline, breadline, bright-line, buntline, bustline, byline, call sign, canine, caprine, carbine, carmine, cervine, chow line, clothesline, cloud nine, coastline, combine, compline, condign, confine, consign, corvine, cosign, cutline, dateline, deadline, decline, define, design, divine, dragline, driveline, earthshine, Einstein, eiswein, end line, enshrine, entwine, equine, ethyne, fall line, fault line, feline, ferine, first-line, flatline, flight line, foul line, fräulein, frontline, front line, goal line, gold mine, grapevine, guideline, hairline, hard-line, hard pine, headline, hemline, high sign, hipline, Holbein, hotline, ice wine, incline, indign, in fine, in-line, Irvine, jawline, jug wine, landline, land mine, lang syne, lifeline, load line, longline, lupine, mainline, main line, malign, midline, moline, moonshine, neckline, off-line, old-line, online, opine, outline, outshine, ovine, Pauline, peace sign, Petrine, pipeline, piscine, pitch pine, plotline, plumb line, plus sign, pontine, porcine, potline, pound sign, propine, punch line, rapine, recline, redline, red pine, refine, reline, repine, resign, Rhine wine, ridgeline, roofline, Sabine, saline, Scotch pine, scrub pine, setline, shoreline, short line, sideline, sight line, skyline, snow line, soft-line, spring line, straight-line, strandline, straw wine, streamline, strip mine, strychnine, subline, sunshine, supine, syncline, taurine, tie-line, times sign, topline, touchline, towline, tramline, trapline, tree line, trephine, trotline, truckline, trunk line, tumpline, turbine, untwine, ursine, vespine, V sign, vulpine, waistline, white line, white pine, white wine, woodbine, yard line, zebrine, Z line
2assign
noun
ASSIGN Defined for Kids
assign
verb as·sign \ə-ˈsīn\
as·signedas·sign·ing
Definition of ASSIGN for Kids
1
: to give out as a job or responsibility <Our teacher assigned homework in math.>
2
: to give out to : provide <Each student is assigned a locker.>
3
: to give a particular quality, value, or identity to <Assign a number to each picture.>
Learn More About ASSIGN
Browse
ADVERTISEMENT
Seen & Heard
What made you want to look up assign? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).