Meaning & Definition
verb
To allocate a job or responsibility to someone.
The manager will assign a new project to the team next week.
To attribute or designate a particular quality or characteristic.
We can assign the blame for the error to poor communication.
To set a value or amount to something.
The teacher assigned a score to each student's performance.
To transfer ownership or rights to someone else.
She decided to assign her rights to the property to her brother.
Etymology
from Old French 'assigner', from Latin 'assignare', meaning 'to mark out, designate'.
Common Phrases and Expressions
assign responsibilities:
to allocate tasks to individuals or groups
assign roles:
to designate specific duties to individuals in a team
assign meaning:
to attribute significance or interpretation to something
Slang Meanings
to give someone a task informally
I was just assigned to grab snacks for the meeting.