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Meaning of assign in English

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assign verb [T] ( CHOOSE )

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assign verb [T] ( SEND )

assign verb [T] ( COMPUTING )

assign verb [T] ( GIVE LEGALLY )

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

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Definition of assign

 (Entry 1 of 2)

transitive verb

Definition of assign  (Entry 2 of 2)

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.

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

assign implies ascribing with certainty or after deliberation.

impute suggests ascribing something that brings discredit by way of accusation or blame.

credit implies ascribing a thing or especially an action to a person or other thing as its agent, source, or explanation.

Example Sentences

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'assign.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback .

Word History

Verb and Noun

Middle English, from Anglo-French assigner , from Latin assignare , from ad- + signare to mark, from signum mark, sign

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing assign

Dictionary Entries Near assign

Cite this entry.

“Assign.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/assign. Accessed 3 Mar. 2023.

Kids Definition

Kids definition of assign, legal definition, legal definition of assign.

Legal Definition of assign  (Entry 2 of 2)

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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OTHER WORDS FOR assign

Origin of assign, synonym study for assign, other words from assign, words nearby assign, words related to assign, how to use assign in a sentence.

It is designed to listen to meetings with multiple participants and will parse discussion patterns to produce informative synopses and assign post-meeting action items.

Such randomized, double-blinded controlled trials randomly assign patients to receive a drug or a placebo, and don’t reveal to participants or doctors who is getting which.

That AI could pore over an astronaut’s symptoms and then recommend medical tests, make diagnoses and assign treatments.

So I rose beyond cleaning, to working as an operational dispatcher for cabin services in the American Airlines traffic control center, assign cleaning crews to each incoming aircraft.

Ideally, the Mars spaceship would be equipped with artificial intelligence that could consider an astronaut’s symptoms, recommend medical tests, make diagnoses and assign treatments.

Now the Kremlin will assign more loyal people to rule the region, mostly military leaders.

When we assign a primitive “not me” status to another individual or social group, it can—and does—take us down a destructive path.

Other folks can debate and assign blame for “who lost Iraq.”

Renee Richardson knows she'll likely never be able to assign blame for her son's death—she's done fighting for that.

Girls are directed through several pages of this until they are asked to assign the guy a series of pre-decided adjectives.

The designs of Russia have long been proverbial; but the exercise of the new art of printing may assign them new features.

With what honest pride did John Smith, the best farmer of them all, step to the fore and assign to each man his place!

If the lessee die, his executor or administrator can assign the remainder of his term.

As the lessee may assign or sublet unless forbidden, so may the lessor part with his interest in the leased premises.

If offered any dish of which you do not wish to partake, decline it, but do not assign any reason.

British Dictionary definitions for assign

Derived forms of assign, word origin for assign.

assigned meaning english

assign   ​Definitions and Synonyms ​ ‌ ‌

Two senior officers were assigned to the investigation .

It’s his job to assign tasks to the various members of the team .

Mountbatten was assigned responsibility for retaking the territory .

He was assigned to the company ’s branch in Cairo.

Tina has been assigned to the intermediate learners ’ group .

I was assigned a car for my personal use.

The operation was assigned the code name “Rita.”

I have assigned four hours for recording the data .

All rights shall be assigned to the publisher .

American definition and synonyms of assign from the online English dictionary from Macmillan Education.

This is the American English definition of assign . View British English definition of assign .

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View the pronunciation for assign .

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as•sign

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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.

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Definition of assign verb from the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary

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assigned meaning english

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COMMENTS

  1. ASSIGN

    assign | Intermediate English ; to give to someone a job or responsibility, or to decide on a person for a particular job or responsibility: We assigned Alberto

  2. Assign Definition & Meaning

    The meaning of ASSIGN is to transfer (property) to another especially in trust or for the benefit of creditors. How to use assign in a sentence.

  3. Assign definition and meaning

    To assign is to distribute available things, designating them to be given to or reserved for specific persons or purposes: to assign duties. To allocate is to

  4. Assign Definition & Meaning

    To assign is to distribute available things, designating them to be given to or reserved for specific persons or purposes: to assign duties. To allocate is to

  5. ASSIGN (verb) definition and synonyms

    Definition of ASSIGN (verb): give someone a job; send someone to a place; put someone in a group; give money/equipment; give something a name/use ...

  6. Assign

    To assign is to distribute available things, designating them to be given to or reserved for specific persons or purposes: to assign duties. To allocate is to

  7. Assign

    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

  8. meaning of assign in Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English

    From Longman Business Dictionaryassignas‧sign /əˈsaɪn/ verb [transitive]1to give someone a particular job or task, or send them to work in a particular place or

  9. assign verb

    1to give someone something that they can use, or some work or responsibility assign something (to somebody) The two large classrooms have been assigned to us.

  10. assign

    assign · to select for and appoint to a post, etc · to give out or allot (a task, problem, etc) · to set apart (a place, person, time, etc) for a particular