Assignation or assignment
| Grammarist
An assignment is a task given to a specific person or group to complete. It can also mean the act of assigning . In some legal fields it can refer to the transferring of ownership of property.
An assignation is the act of assigning or the actual assignment. But it also means a secret rendezvous for lovers, most especially for affairs or illicit relationships. Sometimes this is used to mean a secret meeting or a regularly set meeting, but it would be confusing in this sense to those who are familiar with the standard meaning (see the example below). As a mass noun it can refer to something as being owned or belonging to something else.
Examples The choice has not been made, but it appears the team is more likely to option Orlando to Omaha, rather than designate Dyson for assignment. [ The Kansas City Star ] According to a criminal complaint, Ms Dale, 21, told a detective that Ethan refused to complete the assignment for the first time on 24 February. [ International Business Times ] I vaguely remember seeing images of Delhiites being water-hosed by police while rioting for “Nirbhaya,” an assignation that means “Fearless One,” given to Pandey by the media as authorities would not release her name. [ Huffington Post ] The rare exceptions include a scene in which Shulem follows his wife to an assignation with Félix, slapping his romantic rival to the sidewalk like a petulant schoolboy. [ The Washington Post ] Over the past few months, RPG Enterprises chairman Harsh Goenka, has been having an assignation every other Friday for a few hours. [ India Times ]
Grammarist is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. When you buy via the links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no cost to you.
2024 © Grammarist, a Found First Marketing company. All rights reserved.
“Assignation” vs. “Assignment”: What’s the Difference?
The difference between “assignation” and “assignment”
- Assignation is typically associated with romantic liaisons or clandestine meetings while assignment is more associated with work or academics.
- Assignation usually involves two individuals while assignment can be given to individuals or groups.
- Assignation usually involves secrecy or confidentiality while assignment is typically discussed openly and with clear expectations and guidelines.
What is the definition of “assignation” and “assignment”?
- Assignation refers to a secret meeting or appointment, especially one between lovers.
- It also refers to the act of assigning or allotting something to someone.
- Assignation can also mean the allocation of funds or resources for a particular purpose.
- Assignment refers to a task or piece of work assigned to someone.
- It can also mean the transfer of a legal right or interest from one person to another.
- Assignment can also refer to a written or spoken piece of work that is given to someone to complete.
Which is the more popular variant on the Internet?
- The secret assignation between the two lovers was discovered by the jealous husband.
- The assignation of duties among team members led to a more efficient workflow.
- The assignation of blame for the failed project became a controversial issue within the company.
- The students were given a challenging math assignment to complete over the weekend.
- His new assignment as head of marketing required him to travel frequently.
- The company CEO made a surprising assignment of bonuses based on employee performance.
Related articles
What's the difference between assignation and assignment ?
Assignation.
Definition:
- (n.) The act of assigning or allotting; apportionment.
- (n.) An appointment of time and place for meeting or interview; -- used chiefly of love interviews, and now commonly in a bad sense.
- (n.) A making over by transfer of title; assignment.
Example Sentences:
- (1) Structure assignment of the isomeric immonium ions 5 and 6, generated via FAB from N-isobutyl glycine and N-methyl valine, can be achieved by their collision induced dissociation characteristics.
- (2) A statement from the company said it had assigned all its assets for the benefit of creditors, in accordance with Massachusetts' law.
- (3) Five days later, the animals were randomly assigned to one of four treatment groups: Group 1 received intracranial implantation of controlled-release polymers containing dexamethasone; Group 2 received intraperitoneal implantation of controlled-release polymers containing dexamethasone; Group 3 received serial intraperitoneal injections of dexamethasone; and Group 4 received sham treatment.
- (4) Students are assigned to tutorial groups, and much of the educational thrust of the program is built upon interactions within these groups.
- (5) The second triplet, which was stable in the dark at 4.2 K following illumination, was assigned to the radical pair Donor+I-.
- (6) After the first stage of analysis the spin systems of 60 of the 77 residues were assigned to the appropriate residue type, providing an ample basis for subsequent sequence-specific assignments.
- (7) In an effort to identify the optimal dose and strain of measles vaccination for early immunization, Peruvian infants were randomly assigned to receive one of three measles vaccines in varying doses at 5 to 6 or 8 to 9 months of age.
- (8) Independent t test results indicated nurses assigned more importance to psychosocial support and skills training than did patients; patients assigned more importance to sensation--discomfort than did nurses.
- (9) Families were randomly assigned to one of two forms of conjoint therapy: an Insight-oriented treatment (N = 10) or a Problem-Solving intervention (N = 10).
- (10) Patients were randomly assigned to receive 10 minutes before surgery either I.V.
- (11) Some additional amino proton resonances have also been assigned.
- (12) These chemical shift assignments have been achieved using 1H-detected two-dimensional heteronuclear 1H-13C correlation techniques.
- (13) 7 male and 39 female undergraduates were alternately assigned to rooms painted red or Baker-Miller Pink.
- (14) These data agree with the recent assignment of DIA1 to chromosome G22 by Fisher et al.
- (15) The sequential resonance assignment of the 1H NMR spectrum of the antihypertensive and antiviral protein BDS-I from the sea anemone Anemonia sulcata is presented.
- (16) Following a baseline examination, the furcation-involved molars were randomly assigned in each patient to either a test or a control treatment procedure.
- (17) The letter to Florence Nightingale was written by Bernita Decker as part of a nursing course assignment for our Nurse Educator advisor, Betty Pugh.
- (18) This initial observation of release of eosinophil chemotactic factor of anaphylaxis in vivo along with histamine assigns the mast cell a central role in cold urticaria.
- (19) This assignment was supported by peptide mapping with a tryptophan-specific reagent.
- (20) Both amino acids were found to have the L-configuration by GC analysis on a chiral column and alanine was assigned to be the N-terminal amino acid by Edman degradation.
- (n.) An allotting or an appointment to a particular person or use; or for a particular time, as of a cause or causes in court.
- (n.) A transfer of title or interest by writing, as of lease, bond, note, or bill of exchange; a transfer of the whole of some particular estate or interest in lands.
- (n.) The writing by which an interest is transferred.
- (n.) The transfer of the property of a bankrupt to certain persons called assignees, in whom it is vested for the benefit of creditors.
Words possibly related to " assignation "
apportionment
Words possibly related to " assignment "
dispatching
consignment
appointment
reassignment
subrogation
CompareWords
- More from M-W
- To save this word, you'll need to log in. Log In
Definition of assignment
task , duty , job , chore , stint , assignment mean a piece of work to be done.
task implies work imposed by a person in authority or an employer or by circumstance.
duty implies an obligation to perform or responsibility for performance.
job applies to a piece of work voluntarily performed; it may sometimes suggest difficulty or importance.
chore implies a minor routine activity necessary for maintaining a household or farm.
stint implies a carefully allotted or measured quantity of assigned work or service.
assignment implies a definite limited task assigned by one in authority.
Examples of assignment in a Sentence
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'assignment.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
see assign entry 1
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Phrases Containing assignment
- self - assignment
Dictionary Entries Near assignment
Cite this entry.
“Assignment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/assignment. Accessed 26 Sep. 2024.
Legal Definition
Legal definition of assignment, more from merriam-webster on assignment.
Nglish: Translation of assignment for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of assignment 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.
See Definitions and Examples »
Get Word of the Day daily email!
Popular in Grammar & Usage
Every letter is silent, sometimes: a-z list of examples, plural and possessive names: a guide, the difference between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.', more commonly misspelled words, absent letters that are heard anyway, popular in wordplay, weird words for autumn time, 10 words from taylor swift songs (merriam's version), 9 superb owl words, 15 words that used to mean something different, 10 words for lesser-known games and sports, games & quizzes.
Assignation vs. Assignment vs. Assassination
a secret rendezvous (especially between lovers)
The lovers set a midnight assignation at the hotel.
a duty that you are assigned to perform (especially in the armed forces and in school)
Our first assignment was to write an essay about our family history.
the act of killing someone (usually a public figure)
The assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. was an awful thing.
Assignation vs Assign - What's the difference?
Assign is a derived term of assignation ., as nouns the difference between assignation and assign, as a verb assign is, assignation, usage notes, derived terms.
- Cambridge Dictionary +Plus
Meaning of assignation in English
Your browser doesn't support HTML5 audio
- acquaintance
- bump into someone phrasal verb
- counter-rally
- cross someone's path/cross paths with someone idiom
- it's a date idiom
- make yourself known idiom
- muster point
- paths cross idiom
- pay your respects idiom
- pick someone/something up phrasal verb
- power breakfast
- power lunch
- re-encounter
Examples of assignation
Translations of assignation.
Get a quick, free translation!
Word of the Day
baker's dozen
It’s as clear as mud! (Words and expressions that mean ‘difficult to understand’)
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
- English Noun
- Translations
- All translations
To add assignation to a word list please sign up or log in.
Add assignation to one of your lists below, or create a new one.
{{message}}
Something went wrong.
There was a problem sending your report.
assignation
Other forms: assignations
An assignation is a secret meeting. You might have an assignation with your new girlfriend if the two of you were keeping your relationship private.
Any kind of clandestine meeting can be called an assignation , but it most often describes a romantic tryst. Every encounter between the two main characters in Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet" is an assignation, since their families don't approve of their relationship. The word assignation meant "appointment by authority" in the 14th century, from the Latin assignationem , "an assigning or allotment," with the "meeting by arrangement" meaning arising in the late 17th century.
- noun a secret rendezvous (especially between lovers) synonyms: tryst see more see less type of: rendezvous a meeting planned at a certain time and place
- noun the act of distributing by allotting or apportioning; distribution according to a plan synonyms: allocation , allotment , apportioning , apportionment , parceling , parcelling see more see less types: show 10 types... hide 10 types... grant , subsidisation , subsidization the act of providing a subsidy reallocation , reallotment , reapportionment a new apportionment (especially a new apportionment of congressional seats in the United States on the basis of census results) deal the act of apportioning or distributing something rationing the act of rationing parcel , portion , share the allotment of some amount by dividing something award , awarding a grant made by a law court block grant a grant of federal money to state and local governments to support social welfare programs grant-in-aid a grant from a central government to a local government reshuffle a redistribution of something new deal a reapportioning of something type of: distribution the act of distributing or spreading or apportioning
Vocabulary lists containing assignation
Jay Aubrey Jones pronounced more than 36,000 words for Vocabulary.com (including laurel ). Here are some of the most esoteric. See if you can spell them while listening to the dulcet tones of Jay's voice!
In this exposé, award-winning journalist Eric Schlosser explores the effects of the American fast food industry on global health, labor conditions, and the environment.
Colson Whitehead's novel follows Cora, an enslaved woman, as she travels north in search of freedom. Infused with a hint of magical realism, this harrowing and groundbreaking book won both the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award.
Sign up now (it’s free!)
Whether you’re a teacher or a learner, vocabulary.com can put you or your class on the path to systematic vocabulary improvement..
- 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
- Writing hub
- Grammar essentials
- Commonly confused
- All writing tips
- Pop culture
- Writing tips
Advertisement
assignation
[ as-ig- ney -sh uh n ]
- an appointment for a meeting, especially a lover's secret rendezvous.
- the act of assigning ; assignment .
/ ˌæsɪɡˈneɪʃən /
- a secret or forbidden arrangement to meet, esp one between lovers
- the act of assigning; assignment
- law another word for assignment
Other Words From
- reas·sig·nation noun
Word History and Origins
Origin of assignation 1
Example Sentences
One can see an assignation end hopelessly, another can see it freighted with possibility.
Pros: Getting to picture yourself gliding efficiently through town, perhaps en route to a snowy assignation.
Leave them alone for half an hour, and they will consummate the assignation in a hall closet or a public park.
The picture turned his private assignation into a spectacle for all the world—and his wife—to see.
No girl would make an assignation at that hour just to tell a man that she intended to meet him again the next day.
I had an assignation with her here, but your coming spoiled my sport.
I warrant you have made an assignation to instruct some lady in the mathematics.
Indeed, it was chiefly upon that account that the assignation had been fixed so late.
She was convinced that the writing was Harry's, but whom could the assignation be intended for?
Related Words
Definition of 'assignation'
- assignation
assignation in British English
Assignation in american english, examples of 'assignation' in a sentence assignation, word lists with assignation, trends of assignation.
View usage for: All Years Last 10 years Last 50 years Last 100 years Last 300 years
Browse alphabetically assignation
- assign staff
- assigned counsel
- assigned randomly
- assigned risk
- All ENGLISH words that begin with 'A'
Related terms of assignation
- house of assignation
Wordle Helper
Scrabble Tools
Quick word challenge
Quiz Review
Score: 0 / 5
- Access the entire site, including the Easy Learning Grammar , and our language quizzes.
- Customize your language settings. (Unregistered users can only access the International English interface for some pages.)
- Submit new words and phrases to the dictionary.
- Benefit from an increased character limit in our Translator tool.
- Receive our weekly newsletter with the latest news, exclusive content, and offers.
- Be the first to enjoy new tools and features.
- It is easy and completely free !
Words and phrases
Personal account.
- Access or purchase personal subscriptions
- Get our newsletter
- Save searches
- Set display preferences
Institutional access
Sign in with library card
Sign in with username / password
Recommend to your librarian
Institutional account management
Sign in as administrator on Oxford Academic
assignation noun
- Hide all quotations
What does the noun assignation mean?
There are 11 meanings listed in OED's entry for the noun assignation , four of which are labelled obsolete. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.
assignation has developed meanings and uses in subjects including
Entry status
OED is undergoing a continuous programme of revision to modernize and improve definitions. This entry has not yet been fully revised.
How common is the noun assignation ?
| 1750 | 0.93 |
| 1760 | 0.9 |
| 1770 | 1.0 |
| 1780 | 0.98 |
| 1790 | 1.0 |
| 1800 | 1.2 |
| 1810 | 1.2 |
| 1820 | 1.1 |
| 1830 | 0.96 |
| 1840 | 0.94 |
| 1850 | 0.81 |
| 1860 | 0.79 |
| 1870 | 0.74 |
| 1880 | 0.71 |
| 1890 | 0.57 |
| 1900 | 0.49 |
| 1910 | 0.46 |
| 1920 | 0.42 |
| 1930 | 0.4 |
| 1940 | 0.38 |
| 1950 | 0.37 |
| 1960 | 0.34 |
| 1970 | 0.34 |
| 1980 | 0.34 |
| 1990 | 0.34 |
| 2000 | 0.33 |
| 2010 | 0.34 |
How is the noun assignation pronounced?
British english, where does the noun assignation come from.
Earliest known use
Middle English
The earliest known use of the noun assignation is in the Middle English period (1150—1500).
OED's earliest evidence for assignation is from before 1400, in Coventry Mysteries .
assignation is a borrowing from French .
Etymons: French assignacion .
Nearby entries
- assified, adj. 1818–
- assify, v. 1804–
- assign, n.¹ 1601–41
- assign, n.² c1450–
- assign, v. 1297–
- assignability, n. 1884–
- assignable, adj. 1659–
- assignably, adv. 1674–
- assignat, n. 1790–
- assignate, adj. 1471
- assignation, n. a1400–
- assigned, adj. c1374–
- assignee, adj. & n. 1419–
- assigneeism, n. 1883–
- assigneeship, n. 1829–
- assigner, n. 1667–
- assigning, n. 1580–
- assignment, n. 1393–
- assignor, n. 1690–
- assilag, n. 1698–
- assimilability, n. a1834–
Thank you for visiting Oxford English Dictionary
To continue reading, please sign in below or purchase a subscription. After purchasing, please sign in below to access the content.
Meaning & use
Pronunciation, compounds & derived words, entry history for assignation, n..
assignation, n. was first published in 1885; not yet revised.
assignation, n. was last modified in June 2024.
Revision of the OED is a long-term project. Entries in oed.com which have not been revised may include:
- corrections and revisions to definitions, pronunciation, etymology, headwords, variant spellings, quotations, and dates;
- new senses, phrases, and quotations which have been added in subsequent print and online updates.
Revisions and additions of this kind were last incorporated into assignation, n. in June 2024.
Earlier versions of this entry were published in:
OED First Edition (1885)
- Find out more
OED Second Edition (1989)
- View assignation in OED Second Edition
Please submit your feedback for assignation, n.
Please include your email address if you are happy to be contacted about your feedback. OUP will not use this email address for any other purpose.
Citation details
Factsheet for assignation, n., browse entry.
Online Language Dictionaries
| '; audChoice = audChoice.replace(/ selected=["']selected["']/gm, '');var audT = document.getElementById('audT');if ((audT) && (audPref)) { //Parse the content if(audPref.indexOf(':') > -1) { var audPrefAccent = audPref.split(':')[0]; var playbackRate = audPref.split(':')[1]; } else { var audPrefAccent = audPref; var playbackRate = 1; } var re = new RegExp('( UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/əˈsaɪnmənt/US:USA pronunciation: IPA and respellingUSA pronunciation: IPA/əˈsaɪnmənt/ ,USA pronunciation: respelling(ə sīn mənt) | | | | | | | WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2024 as•sign•ment n. [ ] WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2024 as•sign•ment mənt),USA pronunciation n. See assign, -ment 1350–1400 obligation, job. See /əˈsaɪnmənt/ n ' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations): - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - , , , , , , , , a [position, work] assignment, is on [a special, an undercover] assignment, was [given, sent on] a special assignment, Forum discussions with the word(s) "assignment" in the title: Go to page and choose from different actions for taps or mouse clicks. In other languages: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Definition of assign verb from the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary Definitions on the go Look up any word in the dictionary offline, anytime, anywhere with the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary app.  | |||||||||||||||||||||
IMAGES
VIDEO
COMMENTS
The critical difference between Assignation and Assignment lies in their usage and context. Assignation primarily refers to an agreement or appointment for a meeting. For instance, "They had an assignation at the coffee shop.". On the other hand, an Assignment refers to a task or duty assigned to someone. For instance, "He completed his ...
Assignation or assignment. An assignment is a task given to a specific person or group to complete. It can also mean the act of assigning. In some legal fields it can refer to the transferring of ownership of property. An assignation is the act of assigning or the actual assignment. But it also means a secret rendezvous for lovers, most ...
Noun. (en noun) The act of assigning; the allocation of a job or a set of tasks. This flow chart represents the assignment of tasks in our committee. The categorization of something as belonging to a specific category. We should not condone the assignment of asylum seekers to that of people smugglers. An assigned task.
The meaning of ASSIGNATION is the act of assigning or the assignment made. How to use assignation in a sentence. the act of assigning or the assignment made; an appointment of time and place for a meeting; especially : tryst… See the full definition. Games & Quizzes; Games & Quizzes ...
Assignation refers to a secret meeting or appointment, especially one between lovers. It also refers to the act of assigning or allotting something to someone. Assignation can also mean the allocation of funds or resources for a particular purpose. Assignment refers to a task or piece of work assigned to someone. It can also mean the transfer of a legal right or interest from one person to ...
Assignation. (n.) The act of assigning or allotting; apportionment. (n.) An appointment of time and place for meeting or interview; -- used chiefly of love interviews, and now commonly in a bad sense. (n.) A making over by transfer of title; assignment. (1) Structure assignment of the isomeric immonium ions 5 and 6, generated via FAB from N ...
ASSIGNATION definition: 1. a meeting that is secret or not allowed, especially one between two people having a romantic…. Learn more.
The meaning of ASSIGNMENT is the act of assigning something. How to use assignment in a sentence. Synonym Discussion of Assignment. the act of assigning something; a position, post, or office to which one is assigned… See the full definition. Games & Quizzes; Games & Quizzes; Word of the Day; Grammar; Wordplay; Word Finder ...
Keep using assignation instead of assignment or assassination? Check out Ginger's spelling book and make sure you never confuse assignation and assignment and assassination again! ... Definition a duty that you are assigned to perform (especially in the armed forces and in school) ...
Assign is a derived term of assignation. As nouns the difference between assignation and assign ... assignment. Usage notes Modern usage confines the word to mean an agreed-upon place for illicit sex, but earlier usage is broader, and considerably more innocent.
ASSIGNMENT definition: 1. a piece of work given to someone, typically as part of their studies or job: 2. a job that…. Learn more.
Definition of assignation noun in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more. ... assignation noun; assignment noun; assimilate verb; recuperate. verb . From the Topic. Health problems. C2. Oxford Learner's Dictionaries Word of the Day.
ASSIGNATION meaning: 1. a meeting that is secret or not allowed, especially one between two people having a romantic…. Learn more.
Definition of assign verb in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more. ... assignation noun; assignment noun; consider. verb . From the Word list. Oxford 3000. A2. Oxford Learner's Dictionaries Word of the Day. Oxford Learner's Dictionaries.
An assignation is a secret meeting. You might have an assignation with your new girlfriend if the two of you were keeping your relationship private.
Assignation definition: an appointment for a meeting, especially a lover's secret rendezvous.. See examples of ASSIGNATION used in a sentence.
assignation - WordReference English dictionary, questions, discussion and forums. All Free. ... assignment vs assignation I go shopping, assignation of word class. Visit the English Only Forum. Help WordReference: Ask in the forums yourself. Look up "assignation" at Merriam-Webster
3 meanings: 1. a secret or forbidden arrangement to meet, esp one between lovers 2. the act of assigning; assignment 3. law,.... Click for more definitions.
Students are required to complete all homework assignments. You will need to complete three written assignments per semester. a business/special assignment ; I had set myself a tough assignment. on an assignment She is in Greece on an assignment for a media company. on assignment one of our reporters on assignment in China
There are 11 meanings listed in OED's entry for the noun assignation, four of which are labelled obsolete. See 'Meaning & use' for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence. assignation has developed meanings and uses in subjects including. economics and commerce (Middle English) law (late 1500s) coins and banknotes (early 1700s)
Definition of assignation noun in Oxford Advanced American Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.
assignment - WordReference English dictionary, questions, discussion and forums. All Free. WordReference.com | Online Language Dictionaries. ... assignment vs assignation assignment's deadline/assignment deadline assignment/task? Assusment [ Assignment ] Bid on a post/assignment
1 to give someone something that they can use, or some work or responsibility assign something (to somebody) The two large classrooms have been assigned to us. The teacher assigned a different task to each of the children. assign somebody something We have been assigned the two large classrooms. The teacher assigned each of the children a different task.