assignment

[uh-sahyn-muh nt] /əˈsaɪn mənt/
noun
1.
something assigned, as a particular task or duty:
She completed the assignment and went on to other jobs.
2.
a position of responsibility, post of duty, or the like, to which one is appointed:
He left for his assignment in the Middle East.
3.
an act of assigning; appointment.
4.
Law.
  1. the transference of a right, interest, or title, or the instrument of transfer.
  2. a transference of property to assignees for the benefit of creditors.
Origin
1350-1400; Middle English assignament < Medieval Latin assignāmentum. See assign, -ment
Related forms
misassignment, noun
nonassignment, noun
reassignment, noun
Can be confused
assignment, assignation.
Synonyms
1, 2. obligation, job. 1. See task.
British Dictionary definitions for assignment

assignment

/əˈsaɪnmənt/
noun
1.
something that has been assigned, such as a mission or task
2.
a position or post to which a person is assigned
3.
the act of assigning or state of being assigned
4.
(law)
  1. the transfer to another of a right, interest, or title to property, esp personal property: assignment of a lease
  2. the document effecting such a transfer
  3. the right, interest, or property transferred
5.
(law) (formerly) the transfer, esp by an insolvent debtor, of property in trust for the benefit of his creditors
6.
(logic) a function that associates specific values with each variable in a formal expression
7.
(Austral, history) a system (1789–1841) whereby a convict could become the unpaid servant of a freeman
Word Origin and History for assignment
n.

late 14c., "order, request, directive," from Old French assignement "(legal) assignment (of dower, etc.)," from Late Latin assignamentum, noun of action from Latin assignare (see assign). Meaning "appointment to office" is mid-15c.; that of "a task assigned" (to someone) is from c.1848.

assignment in Technology
programming
Storing the value of an expression in a variable. This is commonly written in the form "v = e". In Algol the assignment operator was ":=" (pronounced "becomes") to avoid mathematicians qualms about writing statements like x = x+1.
Assignment is not allowed in functional languages, where an identifier always has the same value.
See also referential transparency, single assignment, zero assignment.
(1996-08-19)