consignment
C1Formal/Business
Definition
Meaning
A batch of goods sent or delivered to a person or place, especially for sale.
The action of consigning goods; the state of being consigned; a shipment of goods entrusted to another party for sale, with payment typically made only after the goods are sold.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily a business/commercial term. Often implies a principal-agent relationship where the seller (consignor) sends goods to an agent (consignee) who sells them on the seller's behalf, with title remaining with the consignor until sale.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in core meaning or usage. The term is used identically in both business contexts.
Connotations
Neutral commercial/business term in both varieties.
Frequency
Equally common in UK and US business English.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
consignment of [goods/items]consignment to [place/person]consignment from [source]consignment for [purpose]Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “on consignment (goods placed with a retailer who pays only after selling them)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
The primary context. Refers to goods sent to an agent for sale, where risk remains with the owner until sold.
Academic
Used in economics, logistics, and business studies papers discussing supply chains and retail models.
Everyday
Limited. Most familiar in phrases like 'consignment shop' (second-hand store selling goods on behalf of owners).
Technical
Used in logistics, shipping, and inventory management to denote a specific shipment under a consignment agreement.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The manufacturer will consign the latest batch to our warehouse next week.
- We consigned the unsold stock to a clearance specialist.
American English
- The artist consigned her paintings to the gallery for the exhibition.
- They consigned the old furniture to a local thrift store.
adverb
British English
- The goods were sent consignment to our London agent. (Rare, formal)
- They operate purely on a consignment basis.
American English
- The furniture was sold consignment through an online platform. (Rare, formal)
- The artist works consignment with several galleries.
adjective
British English
- She found a lovely consignment dress at the charity boutique.
- The consignment terms were clearly stated in the contract.
American English
- He runs a successful consignment business for vintage guitars.
- The consignment agreement protects both the store and the seller.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The shop sells clothes on consignment.
- We received a new consignment of books.
- The latest consignment of smartphones arrived at the warehouse yesterday.
- She took her old designer handbag to a consignment store to sell it.
- Under the consignment agreement, the retailer only pays for the goods once they are sold to the final customer.
- A large consignment of medical supplies was dispatched to the disaster zone.
- The company's cash flow was affected because a significant proportion of their inventory was held on consignment with various distributors.
- The consignment note must accompany the goods and detail the terms of the agency.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: CONsign = entrust + SHIPment. A consignment is a shipment you entrust to someone else to sell.
Conceptual Metaphor
GOODS ARE ENTITIES IN TRANSIT UNDER TRUST.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid direct translation as 'консигнация' in everyday speech; it's a highly specialised loanword. In general contexts, use 'партия товара' or 'отгрузка'. The business model 'on consignment' is 'на условиях консигнации'.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'consignment' to mean any delivery or shipment (it specifically implies a sale-by-agent arrangement). Confusing 'consignor' (sender) and 'consignee' (receiver/agent).
Practice
Quiz
In a consignment arrangement, who typically bears the risk if the goods are not sold?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
All consignments are shipments, but not all shipments are consignments. 'Consignment' specifically refers to a shipment where the goods are sent to an agent to sell, with ownership retained by the sender until sale.
It describes goods placed with a retailer where the retailer (consignee) does not buy the goods upfront. The retailer sells them on behalf of the owner (consignor) and remits payment, minus a commission, only after a sale is made.
A shop, often selling second-hand or vintage items, where people bring their goods to be sold. The store acts as the selling agent and takes a percentage of the sale price. The owner of the goods gets paid if/when the item sells.
The consignor is the person/company sending the goods (the owner/seller). The consignee is the person/company receiving the goods with the obligation to sell them or care for them (the agent).