assign Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. verb give an assignment to (a person) to a post, or assign a task to (a person)
    depute; delegate; designate.
  2. verb give out
    portion; allot.
    • We were assigned new uniforms
  3. verb attribute or credit to
    ascribe; impute; attribute.
    • We attributed this quotation to Shakespeare
    • People impute great cleverness to cats
  4. verb select something or someone for a specific purpose
    set apart; specify.
    • The teacher assigned him to lead his classmates in the exercise
  5. verb attribute or give
    put.
    • She put too much emphasis on her the last statement
    • He put all his efforts into this job
    • The teacher put an interesting twist to the interpretation of the story
  6. verb make undue claims to having
    arrogate.
  7. verb transfer one's right to
  8. verb decide as to where something belongs in a scheme
    attribute.
    • The biologist assigned the mushroom to the proper class

WordNet

As*sign" transitive verb
Etymology
OE. assignen, asignen, F. assigner, fr. L. assignare; ad + signare to mark, mark out, designate, signum mark, sign. See Sign.
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Assigned present participle & verbal noun Assigning
Definitions
  1. To appoint; to allot; to apportion; to make over.
    In the order I assign to them. Loudon.
    The man who could feel thus was worthy of a better station than that in which his lot had been assigned. Southey.
    He assigned to his men their several posts. Prescott.
  2. To fix, specify, select, or designate; to point out authoritatively or exactly; as, to assign a limit; to assign counsel for a prisoner; to assign a day for trial.
    All as the dwarf the way to her assigned. Spenser.
    It is not easy to assign a period more eventful. De Quincey.
  3. (Law) To transfer, or make over to another, esp. to transfer to, and vest in, certain persons, called assignees, for the benefit of creditors. Kent.
As*sign" noun
Etymology
From Assign, v.
Definitions
  1. A thing pertaining or belonging to something else; an appurtenance. Obs.
    Six French rapiers and poniards, with their assigns, as girdles, hangers, and so. Shak.
As*sign" noun
Etymology
See Assignee.
Definitions
  1. (Law) A person to whom property or an interest is transferred; as, a deed to a man and his heirs and assigns.

Webster 1913