assignment meaning in history

assignment (n.)

late 14c., "an order, request, directive," from Old French assignement "(legal) assignment (of dower, etc.)," from Late Latin assignamentum , noun of action from past-participle stem of Latin assignare / adsignare "to allot, assign, award" (see assign ). The meaning "appointment to office" is mid-15c.; that of "a task assigned (to someone), commission" is by 1848.

Entries linking to assignment

c. 1300, "to transfer, convey, bequeath (property); appoint (to someone a task to be done); order, direct (someone to do something); fix, settle, determine; appoint or set (a time); indicate, point out," from Old French assigner "assign, set (a date, etc.); appoint legally; allot" (13c.), from Latin assignare / adsignare "to mark out, to allot by sign, assign, award," from ad "to" (see ad- ) + signare "make a sign," from signum "identifying mark, sign" (see sign (n.)). Its original use was in legal transfers of personal property. Related: Assigned ; assigning .

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Dictionary entries near assignment

assignation

assimilable

assimilation

assimilationist

assimilative

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assignment etymology

• Latin: "ad" (to, toward) + "signare" (to mark)
• A task or duty assigned to someone
• A portion of work assigned for a specific purpose
• A specific amount of work to be completed

The word "assignment" originated in the 14th century from the Latin phrase "ad signare," which literally means "to mark to." This phrase was used to refer to the act of assigning a task or duty to someone, often by marking it down in a record or document. Over time, the word "assignment" evolved to refer specifically to a piece of work that is given to someone to complete, especially in an educational context.

assignment relate terms

Etymology The origin of a word including its history and source Meaning The definitio

Etymology The word sign comes from the Latin word signum which means mark token o

Etymology Middle English graunten from Anglo Norman French graunter from Latin grant

Etymology Designation is derived from the Latin word designatio which means a marki

Etymology Greek πρόληψις prolēpsis anticipation prior knowledge Componen

Etymology Late Middle English in the sense depute a person to act on one s behalf

Etymology The word detail derives from the Old French term detail which itself origi

Etymology The term legal originates from the Latin word lex which means law Mean

Etymology Old English wacian from Proto Germanic wakōjan meaning to be awake

Etymology Middle English fatigate from Latin fatigare to weary from fat stem of

Etymology Mission is derived from the Latin word mittere meaning to send or to dispa

Etymology The word commission comes from Old French commission which derives from L

• manipulation
• roller coaster
• brother in law

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Meaning of assignment in English

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• It was a jammy assignment - more of a holiday really.
• He took this award-winning photograph while on assignment in the Middle East .
• His two-year assignment to the Mexico office starts in September .
• She first visited Norway on assignment for the winter Olympics ten years ago.
• He fell in love with the area after being there on assignment for National Geographic in the 1950s.
• act as something phrasal verb
• all work and no play (makes Jack a dull boy) idiom
• be at work idiom
• be in work idiom
• housekeeping
• in the line of duty idiom
• undertaking

You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:

assignment | American Dictionary

Assignment | business english, examples of assignment, collocations with assignment.

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Translations of assignment

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Word of the Day

an idea, something said or written, or behaviour that is silly or stupid

A safe pair of hands (Newspaper idioms)

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Definition of assignment

task , duty , job , chore , stint , assignment mean a piece of work to be done.

task implies work imposed by a person in authority or an employer or by circumstance.

duty implies an obligation to perform or responsibility for performance.

job applies to a piece of work voluntarily performed; it may sometimes suggest difficulty or importance.

chore implies a minor routine activity necessary for maintaining a household or farm.

stint implies a carefully allotted or measured quantity of assigned work or service.

assignment implies a definite limited task assigned by one in authority.

Examples of assignment in a Sentence

Word history.

see assign entry 1

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing assignment

• self - assignment

Dictionary Entries Near assignment

Cite this entry.

“Assignment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/assignment. Accessed 18 Nov. 2024.

Legal Definition

Legal definition of assignment, more from merriam-webster on assignment.

Nglish: Translation of assignment for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of assignment for Arabic Speakers

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Definition of 'assignment'

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assignment in British English

Assignment in american english, examples of 'assignment' in a sentence assignment, cobuild collocations assignment, trends of assignment.

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• assigned randomly
• assigned risk
• assimilability
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Related terms of assignment

• seat assignment
• tough assignment
• writing assignment
• challenging assignment
• difficult assignment
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assignation noun

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What does the noun assignation mean?

There are 11 meanings listed in OED's entry for the noun assignation , four of which are labelled obsolete. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.

assignation has developed meanings and uses in subjects including

Entry status

OED is undergoing a continuous programme of revision to modernize and improve definitions. This entry has not yet been fully revised.

How common is the noun assignation ?

How is the noun assignation pronounced, british english, where does the noun assignation come from.

Earliest known use

Middle English

The earliest known use of the noun assignation is in the Middle English period (1150—1500).

OED's earliest evidence for assignation is from before 1400, in Coventry Mysteries .

assignation is a borrowing from French .

Etymons: French assignacion .

Nearby entries

• assified, adj. 1818–
• assify, v. 1804–
• assign, n.¹ 1601–41
• assign, n.² c1450–
• assign, v. 1297–
• assignability, n. 1884–
• assignable, adj. 1659–
• assignably, adv. 1674–
• assignat, n. 1790–
• assignate, adj. 1471
• assignation, n. a1400–
• assigned, adj. c1374–
• assignee, adj. & n. 1419–
• assigneeism, n. 1883–
• assigneeship, n. 1829–
• assigner, n. 1667–
• assigning, n. 1580–
• assignment, n. 1393–
• assignor, n. 1690–
• assilag, n. 1698–
• assimilability, n. a1834–

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Meaning & use

Pronunciation, compounds & derived words, entry history for assignation, n..

assignation, n. was first published in 1885; not yet revised.

assignation, n. was last modified in June 2024.

Revision of the OED is a long-term project. Entries in oed.com which have not been revised may include:

• corrections and revisions to definitions, pronunciation, etymology, headwords, variant spellings, quotations, and dates;
• new senses, phrases, and quotations which have been added in subsequent print and online updates.

Revisions and additions of this kind were last incorporated into assignation, n. in June 2024.

Earlier versions of this entry were published in:

OED First Edition (1885)

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OED Second Edition (1989)

• View assignation in OED Second Edition

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Citation details

Factsheet for assignation, n., browse entry.