assign to

assign to — idiom

1. to give a particular job, duty, or responsibility to a specific person so that t

1.idiomB1
Definition

to give a particular job, duty, or responsibility to a specific person so that they are the one who must carry it out

Example

The captain assigned Hassan to guard the main entrance all night.

assign [person] to [verb phrase]

Adisa was assigned to the company's new branch in Lagos last spring.

passive: be assigned to [location]

Common collocations
  • assign to a task
  • assign to a project
  • assign to a role
  • assign to a position
  • be assigned to a team
  • be assigned to a department
Synonyms
  • delegate to

    more formal; implies handing over part of your own authority

  • allocate to

    used for resources such as money, time, or space, not only people

  • appoint to

    more formal; typically used for official positions or committees

Grammar Patterns

assign [person] to [task/role]

be assigned to [location/department]

Usage Note

Object is always a person. The preposition 'to' is required and is followed by the task, role, or place the person is given.

Common Mistakes

The manager assigned John.
The manager assigned John to the project.
'assign' needs 'to' plus the task or role when naming who will do it.

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

From the verb 'assign', which entered English in the 1300s via Old French 'assigner', and ultimately from Latin 'assignare' — a combination of 'ad-' ('to, toward') and 'signare' ('to mark, sign'). The original meaning was 'to mark out or allot by sign'. The phrasal pattern 'assign to' developed naturally as the verb came to require a target for the person or task being allocated.