assignment location meaning

An official website of the United States government

Here's how you know

Official websites use .gov A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS A lock ( Lock A locked padlock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

• A–Z Index
• Operating Status

Resources For

• New / Prospective Employees
• Federal Employees
• HR Professionals

Official Worksite for Location-Based Pay Purposes

Fact sheet: official worksite for location-based pay purposes.

Certain location-based pay entitlements (such as locality payments, special rate supplements, and nonforeign area cost-of-living allowances) are based on the location of the employee's official worksite associated with the employee's position of record. The official worksite generally is the location where the employee regularly performs his or her duties. If the employee's work involves recurring travel or the employee's work location varies on a recurring basis, the official worksite is the location where the work activities of the employee's position of record are based, as determined by the employing agency, subject to the requirement that the official worksite must be in a locality pay area in which the employee regularly performs work. An agency must document an employee's official worksite on the employee's Notification of Personnel Action (Standard Form 50 or equivalent). (See "Duty Station" blocks 38 and 39 of the Standard Form 50 showing the city/county and state in which the official worksite is located.)

Temporary Changes in Work Location

An employee's work location may change on a temporary basis. Such a change may or may not affect the employee's official worksite, as explained in the following paragraphs:

• If an employee is in temporary duty travel status away from the official worksite for his or her position of record, the employee's official worksite and associated pay entitlements are not affected.
• If an employee is temporarily detailed to a position in a different location, the employee's official worksite and associated pay entitlements are not affected.
• If an employee is authorized to receive relocation expenses under 5 U.S.C. 5737, in connection with an extended assignment resulting in temporary change of station, the worksite associated with the extended assignment is the official worksite. (See 41 CFR 302-1.1.)
• If an employee is temporarily reassigned or promoted to another position in a different geographic area, the temporary work location is considered the official worksite for pay purposes.

Teleworkers

An agency must determine and designate the official worksite for an employee covered by a telework agreement on a case-by-case basis using the following criteria:

• The official worksite for an employee covered by a telework agreement is the location of the regular worksite for the employee's position (i.e., the place where the employee would normally work absent a telework agreement), as long as the employee is scheduled to report physically at least twice each biweekly pay period on a regular and recurring basis to that regular worksite.
• In the case of a telework employee whose work location varies on a recurring basis, the employee need not report at least twice each biweekly pay period to the regular worksite established by the agency as long as the employee is performing work within the same geographic area (established for the purpose of a given pay entitlement) as the employee's regular worksite. For example, if a telework employee with a varying work location works at least twice each biweekly pay period on a regular and recurring basis in the same locality pay area in which the established official worksite is located, the employee need not report at least twice each biweekly pay period to that official worksite to maintain entitlement to the locality payment for that area.
• The official worksite for an employee covered by a telework agreement who is not scheduled to report at least twice each biweekly pay period on a regular and recurring basis to the regular worksite is the location of the telework site (i.e., home, telework center, or other alternative worksite), except in certain temporary situations, as explained under "Temporary Telework Arrangements," below.

Temporary Telework Arrangements

In certain temporary situations, an agency may designate the location of the regular worksite as the official worksite of an employee who teleworks on a regular basis at an alternative worksite, even though the employee is not able to report at least twice each biweekly pay period on a regular and recurring basis to the regular worksite. The intent of this exception is to address certain situations where the employee is retaining a residence in the commuting area for the regular worksite but is temporarily unable to report to the regular worksite for reasons beyond the employee's control. The fact that an employee may receive lesser pay or benefits if the official worksite is changed to the telework location is not a basis or justification for using this temporary exception. A key consideration is the need to preserve equity between the telework employee and non-telework employees who are working in the same area as the telework location. Also, the temporary exception should generally be used only in cases where (1) the employee is expected to stop teleworking and return to work at the regular worksite in the near future, or (2) the employee is expected to continue teleworking but will be able to report to the regular worksite at least twice each biweekly pay period on a regular and recurring basis in the near future. Examples of appropriate temporary situations include:

• Recovery from an injury or medical condition;
• Emergency situations preventing an employee from regularly commuting to the regular official worksite, such as a severe weather emergency or a pandemic health crisis. (For instance, in the aftermath of a hurricane or flood, an employee may be forced to temporarily relocate, making commuting to the regular worksite twice each biweekly pay period on a regular and recurring basis not possible. If the employing agency sets up telework arrangements for the employee, a temporary exception to the twice-a-pay-period requirement would be appropriate.);
• An extended period of approved absence from work (e.g. paid leave);
• A period during which the employee is in temporary duty travel status away from the official worksite; or
• A period during which an employee is temporarily detailed to work at a location other than a location covered by a telework agreement.

An exception is not appropriate in all time-limited situations. For example, assuming there are no additional circumstances such as those described above that would make an exception appropriate, an agency should designate the employee's telework site as the official worksite in situations such as the following:

• The agency hires an employee under a temporary or time-limited appointment and authorizes the employee to telework, but the employee is never scheduled to work at, or report at least twice each biweekly pay period to, the regular worksite (or expected to do so in the near future); or
• An employee changes his or her place of residence to a distant location where commuting at least twice each biweekly pay period on a regular and recurring basis to the regular worksite is not possible (i.e., the employee no longer has a residence in the commuting area for the regular worksite and thus cannot reasonably be viewed as being part of the local labor market for the regular worksite).

Other Benefits

The location of an employee's official worksite may affect other benefits. Information on an employee's travel, transportation, and relocation benefits and entitlements based on his or her "official duty station" (as defined by the General Services Administration (GSA)) may be obtained from at GSA's website . Information on an employee's entitlements to overseas allowances and benefits may be obtained from the Department of State's website .

• Guide to Processing Personnel Actions - Chapter 23
• Locality-based comparability payments - 5 CFR part 531, subpart F
• Special rate schedules - 5 CFR part 530, subpart C
• Cost-of-living allowances and post differentials, nonforeign areas - 5 CFR part 591, subpart B
• Pay and Hours of Work Fact Sheets

Back to Top

Understanding an assignment and assumption agreement

Need to assign your rights and duties under a contract? Learn more about the basics of an assignment and assumption agreement.

Get your assignment of agreement

by   Belle Wong, J.D.

Belle Wong, is a freelance writer specializing in small business, personal finance, banking, and tech/SAAS. She ...

Read more...

Updated on: November 24, 2023 · 3min read

The assignment and assumption agreement

The basics of assignment and assumption, filling in the assignment and assumption agreement.

While every business should try its best to meet its contractual obligations, changes in circumstance can happen that could necessitate transferring your rights and duties under a contract to another party who would be better able to meet those obligations.

If you find yourself in such a situation, and your contract provides for the possibility of assignment, an assignment and assumption agreement can be a good option for preserving your relationship with the party you initially contracted with, while at the same time enabling you to pass on your contractual rights and duties to a third party.

An assignment and assumption agreement is used after a contract is signed, in order to transfer one of the contracting party's rights and obligations to a third party who was not originally a party to the contract. The party making the assignment is called the assignor, while the third party accepting the assignment is known as the assignee.

In order for an assignment and assumption agreement to be valid, the following criteria need to be met:

• The initial contract must provide for the possibility of assignment by one of the initial contracting parties.
• The assignor must agree to assign their rights and duties under the contract to the assignee.
• The assignee must agree to accept, or "assume," those contractual rights and duties.
• The other party to the initial contract must consent to the transfer of rights and obligations to the assignee.

A standard assignment and assumption contract is often a good starting point if you need to enter into an assignment and assumption agreement. However, for more complex situations, such as an assignment and amendment agreement in which several of the initial contract terms will be modified, or where only some, but not all, rights and duties will be assigned, it's a good idea to retain the services of an attorney who can help you draft an agreement that will meet all your needs.

When you're ready to enter into an assignment and assumption agreement, it's a good idea to have a firm grasp of the basics of assignment:

• First, carefully read and understand the assignment and assumption provision in the initial contract. Contracts vary widely in their language on this topic, and each contract will have specific criteria that must be met in order for a valid assignment of rights to take place.
• All parties to the agreement should carefully review the document to make sure they each know what they're agreeing to, and to help ensure that all important terms and conditions have been addressed in the agreement.
• Until the agreement is signed by all the parties involved, the assignor will still be obligated for all responsibilities stated in the initial contract. If you are the assignor, you need to ensure that you continue with business as usual until the assignment and assumption agreement has been properly executed.

Unless you're dealing with a complex assignment situation, working with a template often is a good way to begin drafting an assignment and assumption agreement that will meet your needs. Generally speaking, your agreement should include the following information:

• Identification of the existing agreement, including details such as the date it was signed and the parties involved, and the parties' rights to assign under this initial agreement
• The effective date of the assignment and assumption agreement
• Identification of the party making the assignment (the assignor), and a statement of their desire to assign their rights under the initial contract
• Identification of the third party accepting the assignment (the assignee), and a statement of their acceptance of the assignment
• Identification of the other initial party to the contract, and a statement of their consent to the assignment and assumption agreement
• A section stating that the initial contract is continued; meaning, that, other than the change to the parties involved, all terms and conditions in the original contract stay the same

In addition to these sections that are specific to an assignment and assumption agreement, your contract should also include standard contract language, such as clauses about indemnification, future amendments, and governing law.

Sometimes circumstances change, and as a business owner you may find yourself needing to assign your rights and duties under a contract to another party. A properly drafted assignment and assumption agreement can help you make the transfer smoothly while, at the same time, preserving the cordiality of your initial business relationship under the original contract.

You may also like

What does 'inc.' mean in a company name?

'Inc.' in a company name means the business is incorporated, but what does that entail, exactly? Here's everything you need to know about incorporating your business.

October 9, 2023 · 10min read

How to write a will: A comprehensive guide to will writing

Writing a will is one of the most important things you can do for yourself and for your loved ones, and it can be done in just minutes. Are you ready to get started?

February 9, 2024 · 11min read

How to start an LLC in 7 steps: A complete guide for 2024

It's easy to create a new LLC by filing paperwork with the state. But to set yourself up for success, you'll also need to think about your business name, finances, an operating agreement, and licenses and permits. Here's a step-by-step guide.

March 21, 2024 · 20min read

ERI Economic Research Institute is pleased to provide an expanded and updated glossary of commonly used compensation terms and formulas for your ongoing reference.

Assignment location.

The country in which an expatriate lives and works during an assignment.

Planning Compensation Incentives That Maximize Workforce Engagement

Planning Global Compensation Budgets for 2024 - March Updated

Compensation News Webinars

Further HR your training with our Distance Learning Center Webinars. These courses will earn you credits for a variety of certifications including, SHRM, HRCI, CCP and more.

ERI Economic Research Institute was founded over 30 years ago to provide compensation applications for private and public organizations. ERI Economic Research Institute compiles the most robust salary, cost of living, and executive compensation survey data available, with updated market data for more than 1,100 industry sectors. ERI collects salary survey data from internal surveys, third-party salary surveys, and public sources to calculate geographic salary differentials and assist with compensation planning.

Try Our Software Now

Access a small portion of our data and experience our Assessor Series at your own pace.

Popular Searches

Common Compensation Terms and Formulas

• Includes the latest updates: Compensable factors, defined benefit plan, job leveling, lead differential, shift differential and more.
• Salary structure formulas and strategies

Writing an assignment letter

So, how detailed should an assignment agreement be? The answer is as detailed as possible. The assignment letter should be a legally binding document, confirming the agreement between the company and the assignee with respect to the terms and conditions of the assignment. In reality, the most common approach is that the assignee remains employed with the home company and the home employment contract remains in place. However, the assignment letter serves as an addendum to the employment contract and confirms the terms and conditions which vary from the normal contract while on assignment. Any terms and conditions not specifically varied therefore remain as per the home employment contract.

Most of the checklist items opposite will require considerable scoping – particularly if no assignment policy exists, but making well outlined provisions will prove worthwhile. The extent to which each item should be explained is illustrated below for three key areas.

Compensation, tax and pension arrangements

This is possibly the most complex and important part of the assignment letter and must clearly explain how the assignee will be compensated while on assignment. If the company uses a build-up or balance sheet approach, this section of the agreement will confirm details such as the home notional salary, cost of living adjustments, assignment and location allowances and, of course, the assignment salary.   It should be confirmed whether the assignment salary is guaranteed net or gross, as well as where and how it will be delivered, i.e. through which payroll, in which currency, details of split pay arrangements, exchange rates, etc. If the company has a variable pay structure details of how bonus and incentive payments will be calculated and delivered while on assignment must also be included.   The process for salary reviews must also be explained, as well as the treatment of assignment compensation for tax and social security. Assignees will normally remain in home country social security plans while on assignment, subject to the relevant regulations, and this should also be confirmed in the assignment letter. This section of the agreement will also give details of the tax services provided to the assignee, e.g. departure and arrival meetings, tax return preparation, etc. And finally, the pension arrangements should be confirmed.   Of course, if the assignee is to be compensated according to a different approach, e.g. the assignment salary is based on the local compensation levels of the host location as opposed to the build-up method, similar details to the ones described above should be given, which confirm the assignment compensation and tax treatment

Assignment benefits

The most significant benefits, both in terms of cost to the company as well as value to the assignee, are education allowances for the assignee’s children and host country accommodation. The assignment letter should clearly explain the level of benefits provided and how they are delivered, i.e. in-kind or in cash, bearing in mind the most tax effective form of delivery for the company depending on host country tax legislation. Tax charged on assignment benefits can be considerable, sometimes up to 50% of total assignment costs.   With education benefits it is important to state the type of schooling for which the company will provide assistance. If there are limits on the amount up to which the company will pay for education, or limitations on the choice of schools, this should be confirmed.   Similarly, the limits up to which the company will pay for host country accommodation must be set out clearly. The letter should also clarify what happens if the assignee chooses accommodation below or above the set rental limits.

End of assignment

If there is the possibility of an assignment extension beyond the initially-agreed term, the applicable policy should be detailed here. Most importantly, a maximum duration beyond which the assignment will not be extended should be indicated. This avoids situations where employees become “permanent” assignees, remaining on assignment terms and conditions well beyond five years, which is generally the most common maximum assignment duration.   It is also good practice to give details of the company’s localisation policy in this section. It may well suffice to confirm that a localisation policy may be applied once the maximum assignment duration has been reached, without having to give too many details on the actual process. But by mentioning the possibility of localisation in the letter, assignees’ expectations are managed and they are aware that assignment terms will not continue indefinitely.   In the repatriation section the agreement should confirm the relocation assistance provided; e.g. shipping, temporary accommodation, relocation lump-sums, etc. Furthermore, this section should confirm the process and time scales for finding a suitable position for the assignee upon returning home.   Finally, assignment letters rarely differentiate between terminating or resigning from the assignment, as opposed to terminating or resigning from the actual employment with the company. It is good practice to include the relevant terms and notice periods for each of these scenarios here and to differentiate accordingly. Terminating the employment of an assignee can be complicated and this section of the agreement should be very well thought through. Unfortunately, the governing labour law is often unclear or not straightforward to determine. A company should always seek legal advice should a labour dispute arise.

Need help with assignment letters? ECA's  Consultancy & Advisory team  are on hand to critique your company's assignment letters or create  assignment letter templates  in line with your policy, as well as offer expert advice and guidance on content so that your assignment letters accurately manage the expectations of the employee and the company. If you'd like to speak with one of our Consultants, you can  request a callback here . 

• Search Search Please fill out this field.
• Options and Derivatives
• Strategy & Education

Assignment: Definition in Finance, How It Works, and Examples

Adam Hayes, Ph.D., CFA, is a financial writer with 15+ years Wall Street experience as a derivatives trader. Besides his extensive derivative trading expertise, Adam is an expert in economics and behavioral finance. Adam received his master's in economics from The New School for Social Research and his Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in sociology. He is a CFA charterholder as well as holding FINRA Series 7, 55 & 63 licenses. He currently researches and teaches economic sociology and the social studies of finance at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem.

Yarilet Perez is an experienced multimedia journalist and fact-checker with a Master of Science in Journalism. She has worked in multiple cities covering breaking news, politics, education, and more. Her expertise is in personal finance and investing, and real estate.

What Is an Assignment?

Assignment most often refers to one of two definitions in the financial world:

• The transfer of an individual's rights or property to another person or business. This concept exists in a variety of business transactions and is often spelled out contractually.
• In trading, assignment occurs when an option contract is exercised. The owner of the contract exercises the contract and assigns the option writer to an obligation to complete the requirements of the contract.

Key Takeaways

• Assignment is a transfer of rights or property from one party to another.
• Options assignments occur when option buyers exercise their rights to a position in a security.
• Other examples of assignments can be found in wages, mortgages, and leases.

Uses For Assignments

Assignment refers to the transfer of some or all property rights and obligations associated with an asset, property, contract, or other asset of value. to another entity through a written agreement.

Assignment rights happen every day in many different situations. A payee, like a utility or a merchant, assigns the right to collect payment from a written check to a bank. A merchant can assign the funds from a line of credit to a manufacturing third party that makes a product that the merchant will eventually sell. A trademark owner can transfer, sell, or give another person interest in the trademark or logo. A homeowner who sells their house assigns the deed to the new buyer.

To be effective, an assignment must involve parties with legal capacity, consideration, consent, and legality of the object.

A wage assignment is a forced payment of an obligation by automatic withholding from an employee’s pay. Courts issue wage assignments for people late with child or spousal support, taxes, loans, or other obligations. Money is automatically subtracted from a worker's paycheck without consent if they have a history of nonpayment. For example, a person delinquent on $100 monthly loan payments has a wage assignment deducting the money from their paycheck and sent to the lender. Wage assignments are helpful in paying back long-term debts.

Another instance can be found in a mortgage assignment. This is where a mortgage deed gives a lender interest in a mortgaged property in return for payments received. Lenders often sell mortgages to third parties, such as other lenders. A mortgage assignment document clarifies the assignment of contract and instructs the borrower in making future mortgage payments, and potentially modifies the mortgage terms.

A final example involves a lease assignment. This benefits a relocating tenant wanting to end a lease early or a landlord looking for rent payments to pay creditors. Once the new tenant signs the lease, taking over responsibility for rent payments and other obligations, the previous tenant is released from those responsibilities. In a separate lease assignment, a landlord agrees to pay a creditor through an assignment of rent due under rental property leases. The agreement is used to pay a mortgage lender if the landlord defaults on the loan or files for bankruptcy . Any rental income would then be paid directly to the lender.

Options Assignment

Options can be assigned when a buyer decides to exercise their right to buy (or sell) stock at a particular strike price . The corresponding seller of the option is not determined when a buyer opens an option trade, but only at the time that an option holder decides to exercise their right to buy stock. So an option seller with open positions is matched with the exercising buyer via automated lottery. The randomly selected seller is then assigned to fulfill the buyer's rights. This is known as an option assignment.

Once assigned, the writer (seller) of the option will have the obligation to sell (if a call option ) or buy (if a put option ) the designated number of shares of stock at the agreed-upon price (the strike price). For instance, if the writer sold calls they would be obligated to sell the stock, and the process is often referred to as having the stock called away . For puts, the buyer of the option sells stock (puts stock shares) to the writer in the form of a short-sold position.

Suppose a trader owns 100 call options on company ABC's stock with a strike price of $10 per share. The stock is now trading at $30 and ABC is due to pay a dividend shortly. As a result, the trader exercises the options early and receives 10,000 shares of ABC paid at $10. At the same time, the other side of the long call (the short call) is assigned the contract and must deliver the shares to the long.

• Terms of Service
• Editorial Policy
• Privacy Policy
• Your Privacy Choices

• Dictionaries home
• American English
• Collocations
• German-English
• Grammar home
• Practical English Usage
• Learn & Practise Grammar (Beta)
• Word Lists home
• My Word Lists
• Recent additions
• Resources home
• Text Checker

Definition of assignation noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

assignation

• rumours about his secret assignations with a mystery woman

Definitions on the go

Look up any word in the dictionary offline, anytime, anywhere with the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary app.

• Cambridge Dictionary +Plus

Meaning of assignment in English

Your browser doesn't support HTML5 audio

• It was a plum assignment - more of a vacation really.
• He took this award-winning photograph while on assignment in the Middle East .
• His two-year assignment to the Mexico office starts in September .
• She first visited Norway on assignment for the winter Olympics ten years ago.
• He fell in love with the area after being there on assignment for National Geographic in the 1950s.
• act as something
• all work and no play (makes Jack a dull boy) idiom
• be at work idiom
• be in work idiom
• housekeeping
• in the line of duty idiom
• short-staffed
• undertaking

You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:

assignment | Intermediate English

Assignment | business english, examples of assignment, collocations with assignment.

These are words often used in combination with assignment .

Click on a collocation to see more examples of it.

Translations of assignment

Get a quick, free translation!

Word of the Day

balancing act

a difficult situation in which someone has to try to give equal amounts of importance, time, attention, etc. to two or more different things at the same time

Alike and analogous (Talking about similarities, Part 1)

Learn more with +Plus

• Recent and Recommended {{#preferredDictionaries}} {{name}} {{/preferredDictionaries}}
• Definitions Clear explanations of natural written and spoken English English Learner’s Dictionary Essential British English Essential American English
• Grammar and thesaurus Usage explanations of natural written and spoken English Grammar Thesaurus
• Pronunciation British and American pronunciations with audio English Pronunciation
• English–Chinese (Simplified) Chinese (Simplified)–English
• English–Chinese (Traditional) Chinese (Traditional)–English
• English–Dutch Dutch–English
• English–French French–English
• English–German German–English
• English–Indonesian Indonesian–English
• English–Italian Italian–English
• English–Japanese Japanese–English
• English–Norwegian Norwegian–English
• English–Polish Polish–English
• English–Portuguese Portuguese–English
• English–Spanish Spanish–English
• English–Swedish Swedish–English
• Dictionary +Plus Word Lists
• on assignment
• Intermediate    Noun
• Collocations
• Translations
• All translations

Add assignment to one of your lists below, or create a new one.

{{message}}

Something went wrong.

There was a problem sending your report.

• More from M-W
• To save this word, you'll need to log in. Log In

Definition of assign

 (Entry 1 of 2)

transitive verb

Definition of assign  (Entry 2 of 2)

• intrust

ascribe , attribute , assign , impute , credit mean to lay something to the account of a person or thing.

ascribe suggests an inferring or conjecturing of cause, quality, authorship.

attribute suggests less tentativeness than ascribe , less definiteness than assign .

assign implies ascribing with certainty or after deliberation.

impute suggests ascribing something that brings discredit by way of accusation or blame.

credit implies ascribing a thing or especially an action to a person or other thing as its agent, source, or explanation.

Examples of assign in a Sentence

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'assign.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Verb and Noun

Middle English, from Anglo-French assigner , from Latin assignare , from ad- + signare to mark, from signum mark, sign

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing assign

• pre - assign

Dictionary Entries Near assign

Cite this entry.

“Assign.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/assign. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.

Kids Definition

Kids definition of assign, legal definition, legal definition of assign.

Legal Definition of assign  (Entry 2 of 2)

More from Merriam-Webster on assign

Nglish: Translation of assign for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of assign for Arabic Speakers

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Can you solve 4 words at once?

Word of the day, inalienable.

See Definitions and Examples »

Get Word of the Day daily email!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Your vs. you're: how to use them correctly, every letter is silent, sometimes: a-z list of examples, more commonly mispronounced words, how to use em dashes (—), en dashes (–) , and hyphens (-), absent letters that are heard anyway, popular in wordplay, a great big list of bread words, the words of the week - apr. 12, 10 scrabble words without any vowels, 12 more bird names that sound like insults (and sometimes are), 9 superb owl words, games & quizzes.

• Daily Crossword
• Word Puzzle
• Word Finder
• Word of the Day
• Synonym of the Day
• Word of the Year
• Language stories
• All featured
• Gender and sexuality
• All pop culture
• Grammar Coach ™
• Writing hub
• Grammar essentials
• Commonly confused
• All writing tips
• Pop culture
• Writing tips

something assigned, as a particular task or duty: She completed the assignment and went on to other jobs.

a position of responsibility, post of duty, or the like, to which one is appointed: He left for his assignment in the Middle East.

an act of assigning; appointment.

the transference of a right, interest, or title, or the instrument of transfer.

a transference of property to assignees for the benefit of creditors.

Origin of assignment

Synonym study for assignment, other words for assignment, other words from assignment.

• mis·as·sign·ment, noun
• non·as·sign·ment, noun
• re·as·sign·ment, noun

Words that may be confused with assignment

• assignment , assignation

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use assignment in a sentence

He traveled to China, India, Russia, and Africa for fashion-related assignments.

Among his previous assignments were stints in war zones like Afghanistan and the Congo.

He also had a reputation for not sticking to the brief of his assignments.

His writing assignments were filled with “a disturbing level” of mayhem, war, and death.

The first faux-Fleming assignments went to writers such as Kingsley Amis (writing as “Robert Markham”) and John Gardner.

Toward the end of the campaign his assignments increased until all his time was taken.

Assignments came to be made of one acre to a family, near the palisaded hamlet for convenience and better security.

For a short time he had no assignments that taxed his abilities in either direction.

If you make as good time as you have made on some other assignments, you can get back here before 10:30.

Not a lot of business-reporting assignments involved spending time with half-naked, sun-baked dudes in remote southern junkyards.

British Dictionary definitions for assignment

/ ( əˈsaɪnmənt ) /

something that has been assigned, such as a mission or task

a position or post to which a person is assigned

the act of assigning or state of being assigned

the transfer to another of a right, interest, or title to property, esp personal property : assignment of a lease

the document effecting such a transfer

the right, interest, or property transferred

law (formerly) the transfer, esp by an insolvent debtor, of property in trust for the benefit of his creditors

logic a function that associates specific values with each variable in a formal expression

Australian history a system (1789–1841) whereby a convict could become the unpaid servant of a freeman

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012