assignment

/əˈsaɪnmənt/ noun

Definition

› [C] a task or a piece of work that is given to someone to do, often for a limited period of time: a six-month assignment Solving the industry's infrastructure problems while satisfying shareholders is going to be a tough assignment.give sb an assignment Our team was given an assignment to find the gaps in the market. accept/refuse/take on an assignment carry out/complete/finish an assignmentglobal/international/overseas, etc. assignment One of his first overseas assignments was as a junior in a delegation to Moscow. Assessment for the course will be based on four written assignments and a final examination.

› [U] the process of giving someone a particular job, task, or responsibility: The restructuring will require changing the assignment of responsibilities and reporting relationships.

› [C or U] LAW the act of giving something that belongs to you, such as a property or a financial agreement, to somebody else: The Agreement will terminate automatically in the event of its assignment. The assignment of a legal lease must be in the form of a deed to be effective.

on assignment › someone who is on assignment is doing a job in a particular place, usually for an agreed amount of time: The photographer died while on assignment in the war zone.

→ See also deed of assignment, wage assignment

(Definition of assignment noun from the Cambridge Business English Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)