What does "assign" mean?
An assignee.
Assign
/əˈsaɪn/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: An assignee.
- Grammar: assign is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: allot, convey, delegate, designate.
- Useful contrasts: unallocated, unplaced, deallocate.
- Usage evidence: I have to assign more men to that work.
How to use "assign"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "assign" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "assign" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "assign" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "assign" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "assign" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "allot" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "assign", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 An assignee.
"Scrooge knew he was dead ? Of course he did. How could it be otherwise ? Scrooge and he were partners for I don’t know how many years. Scrooge was his sole executor, his sole administrator, his sole assign, his sole residuary legatee, his sole friend and his sole mourner."
- 2 A thing relating or belonging to something else; an appurtenance. obsolete
"The King ſir hath wagerd with him ſix Barbary horſes, againgſt the which hee has impaund as I take it ſix French Rapiers and Poynards, with their aſſignes, as girdle, hanger and ſo."
- 3 An assignment or appointment. obsolete
- 4 A design or purpose. obsolete
"He aim’d at high designs, and so attain’d / The high assigns to which his spirit aim’d."
Verb
- 1 To designate or set apart (something) for some purpose. transitive
"to assign a day for trial"
- 2 select something or someone for a specific purpose wordnet
- 3 To appoint or select (someone) for some office. transitive
"to assign counsel for a prisoner"
- 4 attribute or credit to wordnet
- 5 To allot or give (something) as a task. transitive
"“I cannot do it, Sir !” was his reply. “I fire into their ranks, and that does as well ; but to single out one among them, and mark him for death, would lie upon my mind afterwards.” The man who could feel thus was worthy of a better station than that in which his lot had been assigned."
Show 10 more definitions
- 6 decide as to where something belongs in a scheme wordnet
- 7 To attribute or sort (something) into categories. transitive
- 8 attribute or give wordnet
- 9 To attribute or sort (something) into categories.; To categorize (someone) as belonging to the male or female sex. transitive
- 10 transfer one's right to wordnet
- 11 To transfer (property, a legal right, etc.) from one person to another. transitive
- 12 give out wordnet
- 13 To give (a value) to a variable. transitive
"We assign 100 to x."
- 14 make undue claims to having wordnet
- 15 give an assignment to (a person) to a post, or assign a task to (a person) wordnet
Antonyms
Example
"I have to assign more men to that work."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "assign"?
Common synonyms include: allot, convey, delegate, designate, set apart, transfer.
How do you use "assign" in a sentence?
I have to assign more men to that work.
How do you pronounce "assign"?
Pronounced /əˈsaɪn/.
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂éd Proto-Italic *ad Proto-Italic *ad- Latin ad- Latin signō Latin assignōlbor. Old French assignerbor. Middle English assignen English assign From Middle English assignen, from Old French assigner, asigner, from Latin assignō, from ad- + signō (“mark, sign”).