assign

views updated May 21 2018

as·sign / əˈsīn/ • v. [tr.] 1. allocate (a job or duty): Congress assigned the task to the agency. ∎  (often be assigned) appoint (someone) to a particular job, task, or organization: she has been assigned to a new job.2. designate or set (something) aside for a specific purpose: managers happily assign large sums of money to travel budgets. ∎  (assign something to) attribute something as belonging to: it is difficult to decide whether to assign the victory to Goodwin.3. transfer (legal rights or liabilities): they will ask you to assign your rights against the airline.• n. Law another term for assignee (sense 1).DERIVATIVES: as·sign·a·ble adj. (in sense 3 of the verb ).as·sign·er n.as·sign·or / əˈsīnər/ n. (in sense 3 of the verb ).

assign

views updated May 23 2018

assign2 one to whom a property or right is assigned. XIV. — AN., (O)F. assigné; see ASSIGNEE, from which it is differentiated by the muted final syll. (cf. ALLY1, ASTRAY, COSTIVE, DEFILE2, TAIL2, TROVE).

assign

views updated May 21 2018

assign1 vb. XIV. — OF. as(s)ignier (mod. assigner) :- L. assignāre, f. AS- + signāre SIGN.
So assignation XV. assignee ASSIGN2 XIV. — (O)F. assigné, pp. of assigner, used sb. assignment XIX. — OF. assignement — medL. assignāmentum.

Assign

views updated Jun 27 2018

ASSIGN

To transfer to another, as to assign one's right to receive rental income from property to another. To designate for a particular function, as to assign an attorney to defend an indigent in a criminal prosecution. To specify or point out, as to assign errors in a lower court proceeding on a writ of error that is submitted to request a court to reverse the judgment of the lower court.