assign
B2Neutral to formal. Common in academic, business, and legal contexts.
Definition
Meaning
To give someone a task or responsibility; to allocate or designate something for a specific purpose or person.
To transfer legal rights or property; to attribute or ascribe a quality or cause; to set apart for a specific use.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The noun 'assignment' is more common than the verb in everyday language. The verb 'assign' often implies authority and a degree of formality or permanence in the allocation.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning. Minor spelling differences in derived words (e.g., 'assignation' vs. 'assignment' for a meeting).
Connotations
In both, it carries connotations of authority, structure, and often obligation. In an educational context, it's neutral; in a work context, it can imply top-down delegation.
Frequency
Equally frequent in both varieties. The noun 'homework' is often preferred to 'assignment' in UK schools, while 'assignment' is standard in US schools.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
assign + Noun (to + Noun)assign + Noun + Nounassign + Noun + to + Verbbe assigned + to + NounVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Assign blame (to fix responsibility for a fault)”
- “A tall order to assign (a very difficult task to give someone)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
The manager will assign the new project to the marketing team.
Academic
The professor will assign three chapters to read before the next lecture.
Everyday
Can you assign someone to bring napkins to the picnic?
Technical
The system will automatically assign a unique IP address to each device.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The teacher will assign the coursework next week.
- They've assigned us a new case officer.
- How do you assign blame in such a complex situation?
American English
- The boss assigned the project to the Boston office.
- Each student was assigned a locker.
- The court assigned the property to the eldest son.
adverb
British English
- Not applicable. No adverb form derived directly from 'assign'.
American English
- Not applicable. No adverb form derived directly from 'assign'.
adjective
British English
- Not applicable as a primary part of speech for 'assign'. The participial adjective 'assigned' is used (e.g., the assigned seating).
American English
- Not applicable as a primary part of speech for 'assign'. The participial adjective 'assigned' is used (e.g., my assigned parking spot).
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The teacher will assign homework every Friday.
- My mum assigned me the job of setting the table.
- They assigned a guide to help us during the tour.
- I've been assigned to work on the new website.
- The committee is struggling to assign responsibility for the budget overspend.
- Random numbers were assigned to each participant to ensure anonymity.
- The contract assigns all intellectual property rights to the company.
- Critics were quick to assign motives to the politician's sudden resignation.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a boss giving a SIGN to an employee about a new task: 'A-SIGN' this work to you.
Conceptual Metaphor
RESPONSIBILITY/TASK IS AN OBJECT THAT CAN BE TRANSFERRED (handed over, given, allocated).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid confusing with 'назначать' (which is closer to 'appoint' for people). 'Assign' is better for tasks/property.
- Do not directly translate 'assign a mark/grade' – use 'give a grade'.
- The Russian 'ассигновать' is a false friend; it means 'allocate funds', not 'assign a task'.
Common Mistakes
- *I was assigned for the task. (Correct: I was assigned the task / assigned to the task.)
- *They assigned him to write the report. (Grammatically possible but less common than 'They assigned him the report.')
- Confusing 'assign' (give a task) with 'design' (create a plan).
Practice
Quiz
In a legal context, what does 'assign' most specifically mean?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
'Assign' is more commonly used for tasks, roles, or responsibilities to people. 'Allocate' is often used for resources like money, time, or space, and implies a more quantitative distribution.
Yes, but not as a direct object meaning 'to give a person'. You assign a task/role TO a person, or a person IS assigned TO a task/place (e.g., 'She was assigned to the Berlin office').
It is neutral but leans towards formal or structured contexts (work, school, law). In very casual settings, people might use 'give', 'put on', or 'ask to do' instead.
The primary noun is 'assignment'. A less common, more formal noun is 'assignation', which usually means a secret meeting, especially between lovers.