assign

verb

ə-ˈsīn How to pronounce assign (audio)
Definition of assignnext
1
as in to task
to give a task, duty, or responsibility to assigned the class with the task of finding something in the state constitution they felt needed changing

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2
as in to allot
to give as a share or portion each new employee is assigned a cubicle and a computer

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to cede
to give over the legal possession or ownership of assigned all rights to and royalties from the song to the Boy Scouts

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to appoint
to pick (someone) by one's authority for a specific position or duty the mayor assigned the panel with the task of luring a major sports franchise to the city

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word assign different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of assign are ascribe, attribute, credit, and impute. While all these words mean "to lay something to the account of a person or thing," assign implies ascribing with certainty or after deliberation.

assigned the bones to the Cretaceous period

In what contexts can ascribe take the place of assign?

The synonyms ascribe and assign are sometimes interchangeable, but ascribe suggests an inferring or conjecturing of cause, quality, authorship.

forged paintings formerly ascribed to masters

How is attribute related to other words for assign?

Attribute suggests less tentativeness than ascribe, less definiteness than assign.

attributed to Rembrandt but possibly done by an associate

Where would credit be a reasonable alternative to assign?

In some situations, the words credit and assign are roughly equivalent. However, 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

When is it sensible to use impute instead of assign?

While in some cases nearly identical to assign, impute suggests ascribing something that brings discredit by way of accusation or blame.

tried to impute sinister motives to my actions

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 assign McNulty was part of the agency's elite Public Health Associate Program, assigned to the Iowa Cancer Consortium, a small group working on statewide efforts to combat what is the country's second-highest cancer rate. —Yuki Noguchi, NPR, 7 Mar. 2025 In May 2024, Superintendent Howard Hepburn, who took up the task initially assigned to former-Superintendent Peter Licata, recommended closing three schools. —Amanda Rosa, Miami Herald, 6 Mar. 2025 What To Know The pit stop, also known as hot pit refueling, was conducted from February 20 to 27 at Misawa Air Base in Japan's northern Aomori prefecture during the Bomber Task Force 25-1 mission, involving B-1B bombers assigned to the 34th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron. —Russel Honoré, Newsweek, 5 Mar. 2025 Connecticut State Police assigned to the airport were notified by U.S. Customs and Border Enforcement about a fugitive who was onboard a flight scheduled to land in Windsor Locks around 4:30 p.m. on Monday. —Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 5 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for assign
Recent Examples of Synonyms for assign
  1. task
  2. allot
  3. cede
  4. appoint
  5. entrust
  6. allocate
  7. transfer
  8. nominate
Verb
  • At that point, no one will be counting pennies—except, of course, for the Bills front office staff tasked with maintaining related cap allocations for years afterward.
    — Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 15 Mar. 2025
  • The Trump administration has been focused on an overhaul of the federal government, with tech billionaire Elon Musk tasked with finding ways to cut spending and workers.
    — Alex Gangitano, The Hill, 15 Mar. 2025
Definition of task
Verb
  • An eye poke late in the third round paused the contest for the full five minutes Cejudo was allotted to recover from the foul.
    — Trent Reinsmith, Forbes, 6 Mar. 2025
  • The exceptions were Kentucky and Vermont, which received around 3 percent of the seats in the House, and Maine, which had about 4 percent of the total after Congress allotted the new state seven of Massachusetts's previous 20 seats.
    — Geoffrey Skelley, ABC News, 26 Feb. 2025
Definition of allot
Verb
  • There are consequences to Congress ceding wide swaths of its authority to a massive administration state.
    — Editorial, Boston Herald, 9 Mar. 2025
  • Losing once again could see Barca cede its one point lead at the La Liga summit over Atletico Madrid, and three point advantage at the expense of bitter rival Real Madrid.
    — Tom Sanderson, Forbes, 8 Mar. 2025
Definition of cede
Verb
  • Jung and Zahra also butted heads in December when each voted for himself to become mayor, a position appointed by and among the councilmembers.
    — Jonathan Horwitz, Orange County Register, 7 Mar. 2025
  • The consulting firm Guidepost Solutions has been appointed to serve as the independent monitor following their recommendation by the Justice Department and the Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network.
    — Steve Weisman, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2025
Definition of appoint
Verb
  • Trump also recently entrusted Vance to travel to the Munich Security Conference in Germany as the face of his administration, where Vance scolded European allies for not doing more to protect free speech.
    — Anna Giaritelli, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 5 Mar. 2025
  • If states, pension plans and even some endowments actively invest into bitcoin and other cryptoassets those investments are – be default – being made with the funds of others that have been entrusted to fund managers.
    — Sean Stein Smith, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2025
Definition of entrust
Verb
  • Several nonprofits have lost millions in government contracts allocated to assist new arrivals.
    — Tazreena Sajjad, The Conversation, 13 Mar. 2025
  • Assigning 70% weight to sales contribution while allocating the remaining 30% equally to sales velocity and profitability is a deliberate choice that challenges the default focus on revenue alone.
    — Aziz Jafri, Forbes, 12 Mar. 2025
Definition of allocate
Verb
  • The two test pilots were originally set to return on Boeing's Starliner capsule, but critical failures during its first crewed flight forced NASA to extend their stay and transfer them to SpaceX for their journey home.
    — Raja Krishnamoorthi, Newsweek, 13 Mar. 2025
  • Keep Hair Off Your Back Natural oil from your hair may be transferred to the skin on your back, creating an optimal environment for bacne breakouts.
    — Cristina Mutchler, Verywell Health, 13 Mar. 2025
Definition of transfer
Verb
  • She was nominated to lead the NEH by then-president Joe Biden in October 2021 and confirmed to a typical four-year term in the role by the Senate the following February.
    — News Desk, Artforum, 14 Mar. 2025
  • The top executives of the music awards in each country, or those nominated by the top executives, will participate in MAJ as overseas voting members.
    — Billboard Japan, Billboard, 14 Mar. 2025
Definition of nominate

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Cite this Entry

“Assign.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/assign. Accessed 22 Mar. 2025.

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