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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Examples 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 Bathroom bills have been controversial for years, with the 2016 Republican bill banning trans people from using the bathroom that assigns with their gender identity in North Carolina resulting in backlash. —Matt Robison, Newsweek, 21 Nov. 2024 Online records show a judge assigned a public defender to represent Yener. —Natalie Neysa Alund, USA TODAY, 21 Nov. 2024 They are set up not to assign blame but instead to create a space for clinicians to investigate broad causes of maternal health failures. —Amy Yurkanin, CNN, 21 Nov. 2024 He was based at Otis Air National Guard Base on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, where he was assigned to the 102nd Intelligence Wing as a cyber transport systems journeyman. —Mirna Alsharif, NBC News, 12 Nov. 2024 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
  • Based in Toronto, she is tasked with overseeing Lark’s international development and co-production strategy, reporting to President Erin Haskett and VP Scripted Series, Nicole Mendes.
    Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 21 Nov. 2024
  • As part of its tie-up with the exhibition, Istituto Marangoni tasked its students with developing creative projects honoring Moschino’s legacy.
    Martino Carrera, WWD, 20 Nov. 2024
Definition of task
Verb
  • The time allotted for updating the rules is coming to an end.
    Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 26 Oct. 2024
  • While there will be no opening statements from the two vice presidential candidates, each will be allotted two minutes for closing remarks, according to debate rules from CBS News.
    Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 1 Oct. 2024
Definition of allot
Verb
  • Then-President Andrés Manuel López Obrador ceded to many of Trump’s immigration demands.
    Carmen Sesin, NBC News, 13 Nov. 2024
  • Summer days in the high mountains cede to relaxing evenings on the casual confines of Main Street.
    James Dziezynski, Outside Online, 10 Nov. 2024
Definition of cede
Verb
  • Trump appointed 237 federal judges during his first term, moving the federal judiciary sharply to the right.
    Tobi Raji The Washington Post, arkansasonline.com, 23 Nov. 2024
  • The board also appointed Alesia Smith, formerly chief of schools, as deputy superintendent.
    Madeline Mitchell, The Enquirer, 22 Nov. 2024
Definition of appoint
Verb
  • Paramount’s decision to entrust Scott clearly speaks to his past performances, particularly internationally.
    Tom Brueggemann, IndieWire, 20 Nov. 2024
  • Vice President Kamala Harris has pointed to the legislation on the campaign trail as proof that Democrats should be entrusted with the U.S. economy.
    Stephen Groves, Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2024
Definition of entrust
Verb
  • The education office said the board has racked up $243,000 in legal costs for the 2023-2024 year — nearly $70,000 more than what it is allocated.
    Molly Gibbs, The Mercury News, 16 Nov. 2024
  • The system allocates 538 votes across the country, and a candidate needs a majority, or 270 votes, to win.
    Fernando Cervantes Jr., The Indianapolis Star, 6 Nov. 2024
Definition of allocate
Verb
  • The woman was transferred to a psychiatric hospital, raising concerns for her safety.
    Hannah Peart, NBC News, 14 Nov. 2024
  • Birds who pushed the door to the right were transferred into aviaries where the resident birds were pushing the door on the left and vice versa.
    Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 14 Nov. 2024
Definition of transfer
Verb
  • She is currently nominated for her first Grammy Award for best comedy album for that same title.
    Paul Grein, Billboard, 20 Nov. 2024
  • The Department he's nominated to run is one of the biggest, most complex entities in the U.S. - an institution that, as our next guest notes, has its own judicial code, its own legal system, its health care system.
    Connor Donevan, NPR, 20 Nov. 2024
Definition of nominate

Thesaurus Entries Near assign

assiduousness

assign

assignation

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Assign.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/assign. Accessed 29 Nov. 2024.

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More from Merriam-Webster on assign

Nglish: Translation of assign for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of assign for Arabic Speakers

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