Library / English Dictionary

ASSIGN

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Select something or someone for a specific purpose

Example:

The teacher assigned him to lead his classmates in the exercise

Synonyms:

assign; set apart; specify

Classified under:

Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting

Hypernyms (to "assign" is one way to...):

choose; pick out; select; take (pick out, select, or choose from a number of alternatives)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "assign"):

dedicate (set apart to sacred uses with solemn rites, of a church)

detail (assign to a specific task)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody PP
Somebody ----s something PP

Derivation:

assignment (an undertaking that you have been assigned to do (as by an instructor))

Sense 2

Meaning:

Attribute or credit to

Example:

People impute great cleverness to cats

Synonyms:

ascribe; assign; attribute; impute

Classified under:

Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting

Hypernyms (to "assign" is one way to...):

evaluate; judge; pass judgment (form a critical opinion of)

Verb group:

impute (attribute (responsibility or fault) to a cause or source)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "assign"):

impute (attribute (responsibility or fault) to a cause or source)

carnalize; sensualize (ascribe to an origin in sensation)

credit (give someone credit for something)

reattribute (attribute to another source)

anthropomorphise; anthropomorphize (ascribe human features to something)

personate; personify (attribute human qualities to something)

accredit; credit (ascribe an achievement to)

blame; charge (attribute responsibility to)

externalise; externalize; project (regard as objective)

interiorise; interiorize; internalise; internalize (incorporate within oneself; make subjective or personal)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something to somebody
Somebody ----s something PP

Sense 3

Meaning:

Decide as to where something belongs in a scheme

Example:

The biologist assigned the mushroom to the proper class

Synonyms:

assign; attribute

Classified under:

Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting

Hypernyms (to "assign" is one way to...):

evaluate; judge; pass judgment (form a critical opinion of)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "assign"):

classify; relegate (assign to a class or kind)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something PP

Derivation:

assignment (the act of distributing something to designated places or persons)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Attribute or give

Example:

The teacher put an interesting twist to the interpretation of the story

Synonyms:

assign; put

Classified under:

Verbs of eating and drinking

Hypernyms (to "assign" is one way to...):

apply; employ; use; utilise; utilize (put into service; make work or employ for a particular purpose or for its inherent or natural purpose)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "assign"):

repose (put or confide something in a person or thing)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something PP

Sense 5

Meaning:

Transfer one's right to

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Hypernyms (to "assign" is one way to...):

transfer (cause to change ownership)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody something
Somebody ----s something to somebody

Derivation:

assignable (legally transferable to the ownership of another)

assignee ((law) the party to whom something is assigned (e.g., someone to whom a right or property is legally transferred))

assignment (the instrument by which a claim or right or interest or property is transferred from one person to another)

assignment ((law) a transfer of property by deed of conveyance)

Sense 6

Meaning:

Give out

Example:

We were assigned new uniforms

Synonyms:

allot; assign; portion

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Hypernyms (to "assign" is one way to...):

administer; allot; deal; deal out; dish out; dispense; distribute; dole out; lot; mete out; parcel out; shell out (administer or bestow, as in small portions)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "assign"):

allocate; apportion (distribute according to a plan or set apart for a special purpose)

allow; appropriate; earmark; reserve; set aside (give or assign a resource to a particular person or cause)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody something
Somebody ----s something to somebody

Sentence examples:

They assign cars to the tourists

They assign the tourists their cars

Derivation:

assignation (the act of distributing by allotting or apportioning; distribution according to a plan)

Sense 7

Meaning:

Make undue claims to having

Synonyms:

arrogate; assign

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Hypernyms (to "assign" is one way to...):

arrogate; claim; lay claim (demand as being one's due or property; assert one's right or title to)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something to somebody

Sense 8

Meaning:

Give an assignment to (a person) to a post, or assign a task to (a person)

Synonyms:

assign; delegate; depute; designate

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Hypernyms (to "assign" is one way to...):

appoint; charge (assign a duty, responsibility or obligation to)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "assign"):

mandate (assign authority to)

cast (select to play,sing, or dance a part in a play, movie, musical, opera, or ballet)

post (assign to a post; put into a post)

cast (assign the roles of (a movie or a play) to actors)

devolve (pass on or delegate to another)

task (assign a task to)

place (place somebody in a particular situation or location)

regiment (assign to a regiment)

reassign; transfer (transfer somebody to a different position or location of work)

delegate; depute (transfer power to someone)

mandate (assign under a mandate)

advance; elevate; kick upstairs; promote; raise; upgrade (give a promotion to or assign to a higher position)

break; bump; demote; kick downstairs; relegate (assign to a lower position; reduce in rank)

place (assign to (a job or a home))

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody something
Somebody ----s something to somebody
Somebody ----s somebody PP

Sentence example:

They assign him to write the letter

Derivation:

assignment (the act of putting a person into a non-elective position)

assignment (a duty that you are assigned to perform (especially in the armed forces))

Credits

 Context examples: 

Any bacterial organism that can be assigned to the species Acinetobacter haemolyticus.

(Acinetobacter haemolyticus, NCI Thesaurus/CDISC)

Any bacterial organism that can be assigned to the species Acidovorax delafieldii.

(Acidovorax delafieldii, NCI Thesaurus/CDISC)

Any bacteria that is not assigned to the species level but can be assigned to the Acidovorax genus level.

(Acidovorax, NCI Thesaurus/CDISC)

Any bacterial organism that can be assigned to the species Achromobacter piechaudii.

(Achromobacter piechaudii, NCI Thesaurus/CDISC)

A species of aerobic, Gram negative, rod shaped bacteria assigned to the phylum Proteobacteria.

(Achromobacter piechaudii, NCI Thesaurus)

A species of aerobic, Gram negative bacteria assigned to the phylum Proteobacteria.

(Achromobacter denitrificans, NCI Thesaurus)

Any bacteria that is not assigned to the species level but can be assigned to the Achromobacter genus level.

(Achromobacter, NCI Thesaurus/CDISC)

Any bacterial organism that can be assigned to the species Achromobacter xylosoxidans.

(Achromobacter xylosoxidans, NCI Thesaurus/CDISC)

A genus of anaerobic, Gram negative, coccobacilli shaped bacterium assigned to the phylum Firmicutes and the family Veillonellaceae.

(Acidaminococcus, NCI Thesaurus)

A genus of aerobic, Gram negative, rod shaped bacterium assigned to the phylum Proteobacteria and the family Comamonadaceae.

(Acidovorax, NCI Thesaurus)