assignment for meaning

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[ uh - sahyn -m uh nt ]

She completed the assignment and went on to other jobs.

Synonyms: job , obligation

He left for his assignment in the Middle East.

• an act of assigning; appointment.
• the transference of a right, interest, or title, or the instrument of transfer.
• a transference of property to assignees for the benefit of creditors.

/ əˈsaɪnmənt /

• something that has been assigned, such as a mission or task
• a position or post to which a person is assigned
• the act of assigning or state of being assigned

assignment of a lease

• the document effecting such a transfer
• the right, interest, or property transferred
• law (formerly) the transfer, esp by an insolvent debtor, of property in trust for the benefit of his creditors
• logic a function that associates specific values with each variable in a formal expression
• history a system (1789–1841) whereby a convict could become the unpaid servant of a freeman

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Other words from.

• misas·signment noun
• nonas·signment noun
• reas·signment noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of assignment 1

Synonym Study

Example sentences.

Yariel Valdés González and I faced these challenges while on assignment in South Florida and the Deep South from July 21-Aug.

They’re putting time into decoration just as they would in their physical classroom, and students can interact with the space by, say, clicking on a bookshelf to get a reading assignment.

For now, if the district moves to in-person learning, instruction in Carlsbad will take place on campus five days per week and students may engage in additional independent practices and other assignments at home.

The assignments must also respect the relationships between the elements in the group.

It’s very hard, by the way, to do real random assignment studies of couples therapy.

His most recent assignment was the 84th Precinct, at the Brooklyn end of the Brooklyn Bridge.

When Lewis was shipped off to Vietnam, his son was just three months old, and the timing of the assignment worried Lewis.

When Vial got that first assignment, she was just beginning her photography career, and Cirque du Soleil was only a few years old.

“For our winter issue, we gave ourselves one assignment: Break The Internet,” wrote Paper.

By the 1950s the rapid assignment of gender to an ambiguously gendered infant had become standard.

Consent to an assignment may be given by the president of the company, without formal vote by the directors.

A transfer by the lessee of the whole or a part of his interest for a part of the time is a sublease and not an assignment.

An assignment to one who has an insurable interest as relative, creditor and the like, is always valid.

When an assignment of it is made, the assignee may sue in his own name for rent accruing after the assignment.

In some states statutes forbid the assignment of such policies for the benefit of creditors.

Related Words

• appointment

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Definition of assign

 (Entry 1 of 2)

transitive verb

Definition of assign  (Entry 2 of 2)

• intrust

ascribe , attribute , assign , impute , credit mean to lay something to the account of a person or thing.

ascribe suggests an inferring or conjecturing of cause, quality, authorship.

attribute suggests less tentativeness than ascribe , less definiteness than assign .

assign implies ascribing with certainty or after deliberation.

impute suggests ascribing something that brings discredit by way of accusation or blame.

credit implies ascribing a thing or especially an action to a person or other thing as its agent, source, or explanation.

Examples of assign in a Sentence

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'assign.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Verb and Noun

Middle English, from Anglo-French assigner , from Latin assignare , from ad- + signare to mark, from signum mark, sign

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing assign

• pre - assign

Dictionary Entries Near assign

Cite this entry.

“Assign.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/assign. Accessed 8 Jun. 2024.

Kids Definition

Kids definition of assign, legal definition, legal definition of assign.

Legal Definition of assign  (Entry 2 of 2)

More from Merriam-Webster on assign

Nglish: Translation of assign for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of assign for Arabic Speakers

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Understanding Assignments

What this handout is about.

The first step in any successful college writing venture is reading the assignment. While this sounds like a simple task, it can be a tough one. This handout will help you unravel your assignment and begin to craft an effective response. Much of the following advice will involve translating typical assignment terms and practices into meaningful clues to the type of writing your instructor expects. See our short video for more tips.

Basic beginnings

Regardless of the assignment, department, or instructor, adopting these two habits will serve you well :

• Read the assignment carefully as soon as you receive it. Do not put this task off—reading the assignment at the beginning will save you time, stress, and problems later. An assignment can look pretty straightforward at first, particularly if the instructor has provided lots of information. That does not mean it will not take time and effort to complete; you may even have to learn a new skill to complete the assignment.
• Ask the instructor about anything you do not understand. Do not hesitate to approach your instructor. Instructors would prefer to set you straight before you hand the paper in. That’s also when you will find their feedback most useful.

Assignment formats

Many assignments follow a basic format. Assignments often begin with an overview of the topic, include a central verb or verbs that describe the task, and offer some additional suggestions, questions, or prompts to get you started.

An Overview of Some Kind

The instructor might set the stage with some general discussion of the subject of the assignment, introduce the topic, or remind you of something pertinent that you have discussed in class. For example:

“Throughout history, gerbils have played a key role in politics,” or “In the last few weeks of class, we have focused on the evening wear of the housefly …”

The Task of the Assignment

Pay attention; this part tells you what to do when you write the paper. Look for the key verb or verbs in the sentence. Words like analyze, summarize, or compare direct you to think about your topic in a certain way. Also pay attention to words such as how, what, when, where, and why; these words guide your attention toward specific information. (See the section in this handout titled “Key Terms” for more information.)

“Analyze the effect that gerbils had on the Russian Revolution”, or “Suggest an interpretation of housefly undergarments that differs from Darwin’s.”

Additional Material to Think about

Here you will find some questions to use as springboards as you begin to think about the topic. Instructors usually include these questions as suggestions rather than requirements. Do not feel compelled to answer every question unless the instructor asks you to do so. Pay attention to the order of the questions. Sometimes they suggest the thinking process your instructor imagines you will need to follow to begin thinking about the topic.

“You may wish to consider the differing views held by Communist gerbils vs. Monarchist gerbils, or Can there be such a thing as ‘the housefly garment industry’ or is it just a home-based craft?”

These are the instructor’s comments about writing expectations:

“Be concise”, “Write effectively”, or “Argue furiously.”

Technical Details

These instructions usually indicate format rules or guidelines.

“Your paper must be typed in Palatino font on gray paper and must not exceed 600 pages. It is due on the anniversary of Mao Tse-tung’s death.”

The assignment’s parts may not appear in exactly this order, and each part may be very long or really short. Nonetheless, being aware of this standard pattern can help you understand what your instructor wants you to do.

Interpreting the assignment

Ask yourself a few basic questions as you read and jot down the answers on the assignment sheet:

Why did your instructor ask you to do this particular task?

Who is your audience.

• What kind of evidence do you need to support your ideas?

What kind of writing style is acceptable?

• What are the absolute rules of the paper?

Try to look at the question from the point of view of the instructor. Recognize that your instructor has a reason for giving you this assignment and for giving it to you at a particular point in the semester. In every assignment, the instructor has a challenge for you. This challenge could be anything from demonstrating an ability to think clearly to demonstrating an ability to use the library. See the assignment not as a vague suggestion of what to do but as an opportunity to show that you can handle the course material as directed. Paper assignments give you more than a topic to discuss—they ask you to do something with the topic. Keep reminding yourself of that. Be careful to avoid the other extreme as well: do not read more into the assignment than what is there.

Of course, your instructor has given you an assignment so that they will be able to assess your understanding of the course material and give you an appropriate grade. But there is more to it than that. Your instructor has tried to design a learning experience of some kind. Your instructor wants you to think about something in a particular way for a particular reason. If you read the course description at the beginning of your syllabus, review the assigned readings, and consider the assignment itself, you may begin to see the plan, purpose, or approach to the subject matter that your instructor has created for you. If you still aren’t sure of the assignment’s goals, try asking the instructor. For help with this, see our handout on getting feedback .

Given your instructor’s efforts, it helps to answer the question: What is my purpose in completing this assignment? Is it to gather research from a variety of outside sources and present a coherent picture? Is it to take material I have been learning in class and apply it to a new situation? Is it to prove a point one way or another? Key words from the assignment can help you figure this out. Look for key terms in the form of active verbs that tell you what to do.

Key Terms: Finding Those Active Verbs

Here are some common key words and definitions to help you think about assignment terms:

Information words Ask you to demonstrate what you know about the subject, such as who, what, when, where, how, and why.

• define —give the subject’s meaning (according to someone or something). Sometimes you have to give more than one view on the subject’s meaning
• describe —provide details about the subject by answering question words (such as who, what, when, where, how, and why); you might also give details related to the five senses (what you see, hear, feel, taste, and smell)
• explain —give reasons why or examples of how something happened
• illustrate —give descriptive examples of the subject and show how each is connected with the subject
• summarize —briefly list the important ideas you learned about the subject
• trace —outline how something has changed or developed from an earlier time to its current form
• research —gather material from outside sources about the subject, often with the implication or requirement that you will analyze what you have found

Relation words Ask you to demonstrate how things are connected.

• compare —show how two or more things are similar (and, sometimes, different)
• contrast —show how two or more things are dissimilar
• apply—use details that you’ve been given to demonstrate how an idea, theory, or concept works in a particular situation
• cause —show how one event or series of events made something else happen
• relate —show or describe the connections between things

Interpretation words Ask you to defend ideas of your own about the subject. Do not see these words as requesting opinion alone (unless the assignment specifically says so), but as requiring opinion that is supported by concrete evidence. Remember examples, principles, definitions, or concepts from class or research and use them in your interpretation.

• assess —summarize your opinion of the subject and measure it against something
• prove, justify —give reasons or examples to demonstrate how or why something is the truth
• evaluate, respond —state your opinion of the subject as good, bad, or some combination of the two, with examples and reasons
• support —give reasons or evidence for something you believe (be sure to state clearly what it is that you believe)
• synthesize —put two or more things together that have not been put together in class or in your readings before; do not just summarize one and then the other and say that they are similar or different—you must provide a reason for putting them together that runs all the way through the paper
• analyze —determine how individual parts create or relate to the whole, figure out how something works, what it might mean, or why it is important
• argue —take a side and defend it with evidence against the other side

More Clues to Your Purpose As you read the assignment, think about what the teacher does in class:

• What kinds of textbooks or coursepack did your instructor choose for the course—ones that provide background information, explain theories or perspectives, or argue a point of view?
• In lecture, does your instructor ask your opinion, try to prove their point of view, or use keywords that show up again in the assignment?
• What kinds of assignments are typical in this discipline? Social science classes often expect more research. Humanities classes thrive on interpretation and analysis.
• How do the assignments, readings, and lectures work together in the course? Instructors spend time designing courses, sometimes even arguing with their peers about the most effective course materials. Figuring out the overall design to the course will help you understand what each assignment is meant to achieve.

Now, what about your reader? Most undergraduates think of their audience as the instructor. True, your instructor is a good person to keep in mind as you write. But for the purposes of a good paper, think of your audience as someone like your roommate: smart enough to understand a clear, logical argument, but not someone who already knows exactly what is going on in your particular paper. Remember, even if the instructor knows everything there is to know about your paper topic, they still have to read your paper and assess your understanding. In other words, teach the material to your reader.

Aiming a paper at your audience happens in two ways: you make decisions about the tone and the level of information you want to convey.

• Tone means the “voice” of your paper. Should you be chatty, formal, or objective? Usually you will find some happy medium—you do not want to alienate your reader by sounding condescending or superior, but you do not want to, um, like, totally wig on the man, you know? Eschew ostentatious erudition: some students think the way to sound academic is to use big words. Be careful—you can sound ridiculous, especially if you use the wrong big words.
• The level of information you use depends on who you think your audience is. If you imagine your audience as your instructor and they already know everything you have to say, you may find yourself leaving out key information that can cause your argument to be unconvincing and illogical. But you do not have to explain every single word or issue. If you are telling your roommate what happened on your favorite science fiction TV show last night, you do not say, “First a dark-haired white man of average height, wearing a suit and carrying a flashlight, walked into the room. Then a purple alien with fifteen arms and at least three eyes turned around. Then the man smiled slightly. In the background, you could hear a clock ticking. The room was fairly dark and had at least two windows that I saw.” You also do not say, “This guy found some aliens. The end.” Find some balance of useful details that support your main point.

You’ll find a much more detailed discussion of these concepts in our handout on audience .

The Grim Truth

With a few exceptions (including some lab and ethnography reports), you are probably being asked to make an argument. You must convince your audience. It is easy to forget this aim when you are researching and writing; as you become involved in your subject matter, you may become enmeshed in the details and focus on learning or simply telling the information you have found. You need to do more than just repeat what you have read. Your writing should have a point, and you should be able to say it in a sentence. Sometimes instructors call this sentence a “thesis” or a “claim.”

So, if your instructor tells you to write about some aspect of oral hygiene, you do not want to just list: “First, you brush your teeth with a soft brush and some peanut butter. Then, you floss with unwaxed, bologna-flavored string. Finally, gargle with bourbon.” Instead, you could say, “Of all the oral cleaning methods, sandblasting removes the most plaque. Therefore it should be recommended by the American Dental Association.” Or, “From an aesthetic perspective, moldy teeth can be quite charming. However, their joys are short-lived.”

Convincing the reader of your argument is the goal of academic writing. It doesn’t have to say “argument” anywhere in the assignment for you to need one. Look at the assignment and think about what kind of argument you could make about it instead of just seeing it as a checklist of information you have to present. For help with understanding the role of argument in academic writing, see our handout on argument .

What kind of evidence do you need?

There are many kinds of evidence, and what type of evidence will work for your assignment can depend on several factors–the discipline, the parameters of the assignment, and your instructor’s preference. Should you use statistics? Historical examples? Do you need to conduct your own experiment? Can you rely on personal experience? See our handout on evidence for suggestions on how to use evidence appropriately.

Make sure you are clear about this part of the assignment, because your use of evidence will be crucial in writing a successful paper. You are not just learning how to argue; you are learning how to argue with specific types of materials and ideas. Ask your instructor what counts as acceptable evidence. You can also ask a librarian for help. No matter what kind of evidence you use, be sure to cite it correctly—see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial .

You cannot always tell from the assignment just what sort of writing style your instructor expects. The instructor may be really laid back in class but still expect you to sound formal in writing. Or the instructor may be fairly formal in class and ask you to write a reflection paper where you need to use “I” and speak from your own experience.

Try to avoid false associations of a particular field with a style (“art historians like wacky creativity,” or “political scientists are boring and just give facts”) and look instead to the types of readings you have been given in class. No one expects you to write like Plato—just use the readings as a guide for what is standard or preferable to your instructor. When in doubt, ask your instructor about the level of formality they expect.

No matter what field you are writing for or what facts you are including, if you do not write so that your reader can understand your main idea, you have wasted your time. So make clarity your main goal. For specific help with style, see our handout on style .

Technical details about the assignment

The technical information you are given in an assignment always seems like the easy part. This section can actually give you lots of little hints about approaching the task. Find out if elements such as page length and citation format (see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial ) are negotiable. Some professors do not have strong preferences as long as you are consistent and fully answer the assignment. Some professors are very specific and will deduct big points for deviations.

Usually, the page length tells you something important: The instructor thinks the size of the paper is appropriate to the assignment’s parameters. In plain English, your instructor is telling you how many pages it should take for you to answer the question as fully as you are expected to. So if an assignment is two pages long, you cannot pad your paper with examples or reword your main idea several times. Hit your one point early, defend it with the clearest example, and finish quickly. If an assignment is ten pages long, you can be more complex in your main points and examples—and if you can only produce five pages for that assignment, you need to see someone for help—as soon as possible.

Tricks that don’t work

Your instructors are not fooled when you:

• spend more time on the cover page than the essay —graphics, cool binders, and cute titles are no replacement for a well-written paper.
• use huge fonts, wide margins, or extra spacing to pad the page length —these tricks are immediately obvious to the eye. Most instructors use the same word processor you do. They know what’s possible. Such tactics are especially damning when the instructor has a stack of 60 papers to grade and yours is the only one that low-flying airplane pilots could read.
• use a paper from another class that covered “sort of similar” material . Again, the instructor has a particular task for you to fulfill in the assignment that usually relates to course material and lectures. Your other paper may not cover this material, and turning in the same paper for more than one course may constitute an Honor Code violation . Ask the instructor—it can’t hurt.
• get all wacky and “creative” before you answer the question . Showing that you are able to think beyond the boundaries of a simple assignment can be good, but you must do what the assignment calls for first. Again, check with your instructor. A humorous tone can be refreshing for someone grading a stack of papers, but it will not get you a good grade if you have not fulfilled the task.

Critical reading of assignments leads to skills in other types of reading and writing. If you get good at figuring out what the real goals of assignments are, you are going to be better at understanding the goals of all of your classes and fields of study.

You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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noun as in responsibility, task

Strongest matches

• appointment

Strong matches

noun as in selecting or setting apart

• distribution
• apportionment
• appropriation
• assignation
• attribution
• authorization
• consignment
• designation
• determination
• specification
• stipulation

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Example sentences.

Yariel Valdés González and I faced these challenges while on assignment in South Florida and the Deep South from July 21-Aug.

They’re putting time into decoration just as they would in their physical classroom, and students can interact with the space by, say, clicking on a bookshelf to get a reading assignment.

For now, if the district moves to in-person learning, instruction in Carlsbad will take place on campus five days per week and students may engage in additional independent practices and other assignments at home.

The assignments must also respect the relationships between the elements in the group.

It’s very hard, by the way, to do real random assignment studies of couples therapy.

His most recent assignment was the 84th Precinct, at the Brooklyn end of the Brooklyn Bridge.

When Lewis was shipped off to Vietnam, his son was just three months old, and the timing of the assignment worried Lewis.

When Vial got that first assignment, she was just beginning her photography career, and Cirque du Soleil was only a few years old.

“For our winter issue, we gave ourselves one assignment: Break The Internet,” wrote Paper.

By the 1950s the rapid assignment of gender to an ambiguously gendered infant had become standard.

Consent to an assignment may be given by the president of the company, without formal vote by the directors.

A transfer by the lessee of the whole or a part of his interest for a part of the time is a sublease and not an assignment.

An assignment to one who has an insurable interest as relative, creditor and the like, is always valid.

When an assignment of it is made, the assignee may sue in his own name for rent accruing after the assignment.

In some states statutes forbid the assignment of such policies for the benefit of creditors.

Related Words

Words related to assignment are not direct synonyms, but are associated with the word assignment . Browse related words to learn more about word associations.

noun as in matter or business to be taken care of; happening activity

• circumstance
• office function
• responsibility
• transaction
• undertaking

noun as in arrangement for meeting; prearranged meeting

• consultation

noun as in job, position of responsibility

• officeholder
• representative

noun as in allocation, setting aside

• setting apart

Viewing 5 / 50 related words

On this page you'll find 85 synonyms, antonyms, and words related to assignment, such as: appointment, chore, drill, duty, homework, and job.

From Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.

Assignments usually ask you to demonstrate that you have immersed yourself in the course material and that you've done some thinking on your own; questions not treated at length in class often serve as assignments. Fortunately, if you've put the time into getting to know the material, then you've almost certainly begun thinking independently. In responding to assignments, keep in mind the following advice.

• Beware of straying.  Especially in the draft stage, "discussion" and "analysis" can lead you from one intrinsically interesting problem to another, then another, and then ... You may wind up following a garden of forking paths and lose your way. To prevent this, stop periodically while drafting your essay and reread the assignment. Its purposes are likely to become clearer.
• Consider the assignment in relation to previous and upcoming assignments.  Ask yourself what is new about the task you're setting out to do. Instructors often design assignments to build in complexity. Knowing where an assignment falls in this progression can help you concentrate on the specific, fresh challenges at hand.

Understanding some key words commonly used in assignments also may simplify your task. Toward this end, let's take a look at two seemingly impenetrable instructions: "discuss" and "analyze."

1. Discuss the role of gender in bringing about the French Revolution.

• "Discuss" is easy to misunderstand because the word calls to mind the oral/spoken dimension of communication. "Discuss" suggests conversation, which often is casual and undirected. In the context of an assignment, however, discussion entails fulfilling a defined and organized task: to construct an argument that considers and responds to an ample range of materials. To "discuss," in assignment language, means to make a broad argument about a set of arguments you have studied. In the case above, you can do this by
• pointing to consistencies and inconsistencies in the evidence of gendered causes of the Revolution;
• raising the implications of these consistencies and/or inconsistencies (perhaps they suggest a limited role for gender as catalyst);
• evaluating different claims about the role of gender; and
• asking what is gained and what is lost by focusing on gendered symbols, icons and events.

A weak discussion essay in response to the question above might simply list a few aspects of the Revolution—the image of Liberty, the executions of the King and Marie Antoinette, the cry "Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite!" —and make separate comments about how each, being "gendered," is therefore a powerful political force. Such an essay would offer no original thesis, but instead restate the question asked in the assignment (i.e., "The role of gender was very important in the French Revolution" or "Gender did not play a large role in the French Revolution").

In a strong discussion essay, the thesis would go beyond a basic restatement of the assignment question. You might test the similarities and differences of the revolutionary aspects being discussed. You might draw on fresh or unexpected evidence, perhaps using as a source an intriguing reading that was only briefly touched upon in lecture.

2. Analyze two of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, including one not discussed in class, as literary works and in terms of sources/analogues.

The words "analyze" and "analysis" may seem to denote highly advanced, even arcane skills, possessed in virtual monopoly by mathematicians and scientists. Happily, the terms refer to mental activity we all perform regularly; the terms just need decoding. "Analyze" means two things in this specific assignment prompt.

• First, you need to divide the two tales into parts, elements, or features. You might start with a basic approach: looking at the beginning, middle, and end. These structural features of literary works—and of historical events and many other subjects of academic study—may seem simple or even simplistic, but they can yield surprising insights when examined closely.
• Alternatively, you might begin at a more complex level of analysis. For example, you might search for and distinguish between kinds of humor in the two tales and their sources in Boccaccio or the Roman de la Rose: banter, wordplay, bawdy jokes, pranks, burlesque, satire, etc.

Second, you need to consider the two tales critically to arrive at some reward for having observed how the tales are made and where they came from (their sources/analogues). In the course of your essay, you might work your way to investigating Chaucer's broader attitude toward his sources, which alternates between playful variation and strict adherence. Your complex analysis of kinds of humor might reveal differing conceptions of masculine and feminine between Chaucer and his literary sources, or some other important cultural distinction.

Analysis involves both a set of observations about the composition or workings of your subject and a critical approach that keeps you from noticing just anything—from excessive listing or summarizing—and instead leads you to construct an interpretation, using textual evidence to support your ideas.

Some Final Advice

If, having read the assignment carefully, you're still confused by it, don't hesitate to ask for clarification from your instructor. He or she may be able to elucidate the question or to furnish some sample responses to the assignment. Knowing the expectations of an assignment can help when you're feeling puzzled. Conversely, knowing the boundaries can head off trouble if you're contemplating an unorthodox approach. In either case, before you go to your instructor, it's a good idea to list, underline or circle the specific places in the assignment where the language makes you feel uncertain.

William C. Rice, for the Writing Center at Harvard University

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Definition of assignment noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

• 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 one of the Sunday newspapers.
• on assignment one of our reporters on assignment in China
• The students handed in their assignments.
• The teacher gave us an assignment on pollution.
• Why did you take on this assignment if you're so busy?
• He refused to accept the assignment.
• assignment on

Join our community to access the latest language learning and assessment tips from Oxford University Press!

• his assignment to other duties in the same company
• on assignment

Nearby words

Definition of 'assignment'

assignment in American English

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• tough assignment
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• challenging assignment
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By Darragh McDonald | June 7, 2024 at 11:59pm CDT

The Blue Jays announced that they have recalled infielder Spencer Horwitz , with infielder/outfielder Cavan Biggio designated for assignment in a corresponding move. Their 40-man roster count drops to 39. Shi Davidi of Sportsnet relayed on X earlier that Horwitz was joining the club.

Biggio, 29, has been in a multi-positional role for the Jays for a while. He showed a keen eye at the plate when he first arrived in the big leagues but it seems that pitchers realized he wasn’t likely to do much damage if they threw him more strikes. He drew a walk in 16.5% of his plate appearances in his rookie season in 2019 but that number has dropped year over year. It was 15.5% in 2020 and then went to 12.6%, 12.5% and 11.8% in the years after that.

Here in 2024, Biggio has only walked at a 10.7% clip. That is still above league average, which is 8.3% so far this season, but a huge drop from where he started. Strikeouts have also become a growing problem for him over the years. In 2021, he was punched out at a roughly league average rate of 23% but that ticked up into the high 20s in subsequent campaigns and is currently at a 32.1% clip here this year.

Thanks to his on-base abilities, Biggio was able to hit .240/.368/.430 over the 2019 and 2020 seasons. He hit 16 home runs in the first of those seasons but that is now considered by many to be a “juiced ball” season where home runs reached unprecedented levels. That production still translated to a wRC+ of 118 but he’s hit just .219/.327/.351 since then for a 94 wRC+, which includes a line of .200/.323/.291 and 88 wRC+ here in 2024.

Defensively, Biggio has never received especially strong grades anywhere on the diamond but has at least provided the Jays with plenty of versatility. That includes one inning at shortstop but plenty of time at the other three infield positions and in the outfield as well.

As Biggio’s results have declined over the years, other players have slid into his multi-positional role. Davis Schneider is splitting his time between second base and left field and has hit .254/.364/.505 since his call-up last year for a 145 wRC+. The Jays signed Isiah Kiner-Falefa in the offseason and he is hitting around league average with strong defense at various infield positions. Ernie Clement isn’t hitting much but gets stronger grades for his glovework than Biggio.

On top of those three, there’s also the aforementioned Horwitz. He has been hitting very well in Triple-A this year, walking in 17% of his plate appearances and producing a line of .335/.456/.514 for a 157 wRC+. He has primarily played first base but the Jays recently started getting him some work at second base in order to help him coexist with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. , who plays first most days. The Jays have also experimented with Guerrero playing some third base of late but also have Justin Turner and Daniel Vogelbach in the first base/designated hitter rotation.

Amid all of that, it seems Biggio has been nudged off the roster for being sort of in between. He doesn’t have as much offensive potential as guys like Schneider, Turner, Vogelbach and perhaps Horwitz, while Kiner-Falefa and Clement are stronger defenders. The Jays also couldn’t send Biggio down to the minors as he now has more than five years of service time.

That has nudged Biggio off the 40-man roster and the Jays will now have one week to trade him or pass him through waivers. Since he has passed the five-year service time marker, he has the right to reject an outright assignment and elect free agency while also retaining all of his salary. He is making $4.21MM this year, with about $2.78MM left to be paid out. If anyone were to claim him, they would have to take on that salary but would also have the ability to retain Biggio via arbitration for next year.

134 Comments

14 hours ago

Was not expecting that

13 hours ago

After all that time on one team, he may actually be a prime change of scenery guy.

12 hours ago

He would seem to be an ideal pick up candidate for the Wsox.

I think most AAA squads might be more exciting than the White Sox.

5 hours ago

He is essentially assured playing time with the Sox, with them trading away anything not nailed down, and if he bounces back in a meaningful way, he WILL be traded.

White Sox current long term plan is equivalent to the Putting on Clown Makeup meme. Cannot wait for Getz to be fired in a decade.

And the rebuild begins. There is some good young talent in Jays organisation.

Biggio DFA’d is your sign the white flag has been waved?

The white flag was raised when their big offseason acquisition was IKF

IKF is gonna be a 2 – 2.5 FWAR player That move as much fans hate it will be a good one The awful move was bringing back KK instead of moving varsho to CF full time to maximize his value and getting a bat for LF

Both things are true. IKF has been a great pickup, especially considering the alternatives. I thought Tim Anderson or Amed Rosario were the way to go and both have been mediocre at best to this point. But if IKF is your teams best move, something probably isn’t going right.

11 hours ago

Next stop Cooperstown… driving a tour bus that is. “Exact change only please!” Ahahaha!

10 hours ago

Can’t really look at moves in isolation. Kk was good for bang buck last year but pushed Varsho to a corner position.

IKF didn’t address the team needs then and still doesn’t now.

Actually that Cooperstown stop will be to show his kid Grandpa Biggio’s HOF bust.

9 hours ago

IKF has 1.9 WAR, second-best on the team.

Cavan’s pic at Baseball Reference was a surprise. Adopted??!

6 hours ago

I always liked biggio and thought he really just needed everyday ABs at the same position, the kid has on nase skills power amd a LHH. I think there was another player on the roster that should have went before him, namely Voggy and to a lesser extent clement

Hardly. This is an attempt to improve the team now, with the hope that Horwitz can add something offensively. Biggio didn’t offer anything offensively.

And since they’re only three games out of a wild card spot, playing three against Oakland this weekend, and Vladdy and Bichette are hitting better these days, they have plenty of reason to get better for this season—rather than looking to the future.

>Biggio didn’t offer anything offensively.

Biggio: 80 OPS+ Springer: 77 OPS+ Vogelbach: 76 OPS+

3 hours ago

@terrymesmer

Another poor attempt at a strawman terry. At best it’s “what-about-ism0”. Posting his 80 OPS+ is the only relevant thing here.

2 hours ago

He must’ve mixed up the Biggios.

55 mins ago

I agree they should start the rebuild. But Biggio should of been traded or DFA’D a long time ago. Either coaching or his ability has let him down. It’s sad bcuz he had so much talent. Maybe a move else where gets him on track

If the talent is as good as you say they would have (probably should have) traded them for MLB players to save payroll and compete, rather than holding young talent when you’re supposed to contend.

The rebuild begins when the jays make some trades

If they were rebuilding they would have kept him up to see if he could turn it around and provide some trade value. This move looks like they’re just trying to field the best team possible for a playoff push.

Playoff push- hahaha. This is a Canadian (Canadistan) baseball team, they’re going nowhere. There shouldn’t even be a MLB team in that dependent pseudo-51st state.

What a completely stupid take on Canada.

Poorly coded AI, was supposed to slur the country as socialist but accidentally compared it to theocracy.

Best country in the world.

Spoken like a true American idiot with zero worldview outside of your own state. State might be generous.

54 mins ago

lol rebuild because they dumped their 26th man

The speed of Jacoby Ellsbury combined with the hustle of Peter Rose. Their loss.

and hitting skills of Pete LeCock

Wow… nice one.. I’m sure you know his father was Peter Marshal ( Hollywood squares)

who, somehow, is still alive. By my math, Peter Marshall is now 168 years old.

Yes but not George Gobel… he passed at 147…

And was buried in a black suit with brown shoes.

One of the best lines ever on Carson. George Gobel, Dean Martin, Bob Hope and Johnny. I see what you did there.

And the OBP of Billy Hamilton. Get real.

Better overall baserunner than William Hamilton.

In Billy’s defense, dude could swipe a bag.

Hall of Famer.

I don’t know why, but I have a feeling Cavan will end up a Guardian.

Cavan to mariners to platoon with d-Moore as super utility guy?

Cavan’s strikeout numbers are up, so he’d fit in well with our other whiff machines on the squad. “Control the Zone”

Why? Where would the Guardians play him?

Idk why, but I have a feeling Cavan will end up slinging hash at greasy spoon called “Pops”. Ahahaha!

7 hours ago

We already have too many light-hitting middle infielders and utility types. We’ll see your Cavan Biggio with one of our Gabriel Arias’

Haven’t we been to this movie before?

Like two years ago Biggio was tried to be shown the door

Maybe he isn’t a native speaker? Do you feel better now, David?

Perfectly fine English.

“Has this not occurred before? Like two years ago, they tried getting rid of Biggio.”

Should have been non-tendered last offseason

Anyone calling for Cavan to be non-tendered the last couple years have taken ridicule from the Jays fanbase that was not necessary. Although I thought Vogelbach might get dropped before Cavan, this is the right move.

All you have to do is look at his career stats. The most hits he ever had in a season was 2019 when he had 89. This guy got way more rope than anyone else would have gotten. If big moves are coming, this is a great first step.

Yep. But these Jays fans like that he walks. Crazy. Should have non-tendered after 2022 to save a little cash.

My ass is shaking. This doesn’t happen much.

I just sneezed and burped at the same time it felt weird

add in a fart for the hat trick

I’m a Mariners fan, but I’m not a fan of your posts.

I wouldn’t mind the Rangers taking a flyer on him.

This is a sad day for me. I’ve pulled so hard for Cavan over the years since he came up, you know the underdog thing and all that. Maybe his salary will be enough of a deterrent for other clubs and somehow Cavan can remain in the org. Besides, I would have DFAed Ernie Clement first. The Jays already have too many RH hitting infielders

Cavan Biggio is an underdog? The only reason why he got this job in the first place was because of his Hall of Fame dad. Hes been treated like a rich spoiled brat his whole life and had the best training a kid could have. You don’t have a clue

50 mins ago

Dear LGBTQMets, Cavan Biggio has a higher career OBP than Bo Bichette. Get a clue

The clock ran out for the 2nd coming of the biggio

“It just doesn’t make any sense” said a dope

Makes no sense to bring up a 1B/DH in Horwitz when you already have three of them — unless you DFA one, such as Vogelbach.

If you’d read the article, you’d know how they’re handling that.

Likely a better option than Guillorme, Paris, Tucker, or Adrianza.

Angels would be a good fit he would be Brandon drury but slightly worse

Knew it was coming sooner or later and was mildly surprised it didn’t happen at some point last season. I’ve always rooted for him though and hope he does well wherever he ends up.

He was one of the team’s better hitters last season. That was probably not the time they were going to part ways with him.

Toronto where the “Sons of legends” reside has a member departing its club

the remaining members Guerrero’s, Bichette’s, and Varsho’s will pour a cold one in his memory.

James Tiberius Kirk is not related to Alejandro but share a nickname

Toronto finally figuring it out

Trade Guerrero Nepotism doesn’t work

Vlad is hitting like crazy the last month and doubt you know what nepotism means

All true, but the idea of an all ‘nepo baby’ infield was pretty novel.

’bout time. This was long overdue.

He’ll definitely land on his feet with a different franchise. Kind of absurd how a Major League Baseball team can hold onto a guy like Vogelbach and DFA a player like Biggio.

Vogelbach must have something on Atkins to keep him on the team, basically warming the bench. Hmmm? Maybe he is an inside informant? Providing management with information on what the players are actually thinking….

Over his last 14 games (11 starts), Vogelbach is hitting .286/.324/.457. I’ll take that from a part-timer any day.

8 hours ago

He won them the series vs the Pirates in his revenge tour.

Vogelbach brings the Tim Hortons every day.

Craig: Son, you have shamed the family name.

Cavan: Oh, right, Mr. Steroids.

Craig was never accused nor did he fail a test

That’s inaccurate. There’s always been speculation about Biggio using steroids.

Bagwell took Biggio’s for him

Scott Kingery 2.0

Accurate as far as the on field performance but not even close on the salary.

But not anywhere near Dale Berra’s production. He got more rope than most because of his pedigree, but he was more productive than Cavan Biggio.

To Houston to try to channel his father’s production?

As the late great Bray Wyatt would say during the Firefly Funhouse. Yowee Wowee

Now I can’t call him Kevin when I’m at the games:(

Jays mishandled Biggio.

Biggio could have non-tendered at the end of last season. He’s had more opportunities to prove himself than most players and has come up wanting.

It has nothing to do with being non-tendered. Jays mishandled Biggio.

@NoSaint…….

You have been weighed; you have been measured; and you have been found wanting. Great line…

Looks like it’s time for me to watch A Knight’s Tale….

Yeah, like Senzel was mishandled too. Face it, some guys just aren’t that good.

I hope my Mariners snag him. If nothing else, to keep him away from Houston or the Yanks.

The Yankees hope your Mariners snag him too.

I didn’t realize the M’s needed a dead spot in their lineup especially after rolling the dice big time on Robles.

No, the Mariners do not need that guy. Bad call.

I wonder if he’ll become another Pete Rose Jr, who wasn’t much of a player but kept getting chances because of his his name and played 13 years in the minors.

Pure conjecture on my part, but his continued opportunities with the Blue Jays are partly due to who his father is. So yes, he probably will get the same treatment as Pete Rose Jr.

Same goes for Vladdy IMHO. He’s been better as of late but has previously struggled a lot…..

Guess he was worth the gamble

I wouldn’t mind the Astros taking a flyer on him. His father Craig Biggio is a Hall of Famer with the Stros and Cavin was born in Houston.

that is just fantastic….got hit bubblegum card today?

Mopargary: Congratulations! You are today’s winner of the Captain Obvious Cup!

Looks like a Pirates dumpster diver candidate.

He doesn’t play center field or first, and they don’t need more middle infielders.

Bad take, mario crosby… the Pirates would never pay $2.7M for half a season of Biggio. $2.7M is probably BC’s budget for fixing the bullpen for ’25

Take some steroids like your dad, maybe that will help.

Liked Biggio’s versatility however he was a fringe player at best

FINALLY! This was too long coming. The Jays front office just can’t admit when they’re wrong about a player. Biggio doesn’t have the bat to play in the big and his glove doesn’t make up for a weak hit tool. He should have been dumped a year ago. He’s practically become an automatic out. Vladdy and Bo are gonna be pisssed….and that may be the best thing of all from dumping Biggio. Maybe it’ll spur them to some kind of action.

Thank you Cavan for not wasting the Phillies money and going back in the draft

If he had a different last name, probably would have been dfa’d many years ago.

leaving aside that Biggio is your proverbial 26th man, this is still a shocking move. he is a home grown player, part of their sons of former major leaguer nucleus – its a signal that everything is on the table. Biggio will make a fine manager one day – he is a baseball player through and through but has no hit tools. good luck to him.

Am I the only one that could see him end up I Atlanta?? He would be a perfect super utility guy for the team. Also won’t be the first guy to go to Atlanta play at all star level.

Also could see the Astros grabbing him as he would increase ticket sales short term just because of the name

Biggio is a 3 win player over 600 at bats. This year he’s on a 2 win pace. And he’s also controllable for 2025.

This seems like a stupid move to me.

They need offense, and he has an OPS+ of 80.

Teams need talent not one specific part of talent like offense.

Looks like a future pirate

I’d love to see the Giants or Astros take a filer on him

2 years overdue but that’s still pretty good for this FO.

Welcome to the White Sox Cavan!

I do not understand the Jays FO anymore at all. DFA Cavan and keep Vogalsnack?!? Absolutely ridiculous! Run Cavan run! Get away from this team and put your sights on a team that values your talent!

shapiro and useless atkins are next out the door !!

Can’t happen fast enough !!

My God, it’s about time. How long was he going to hang on just because of his last name…sheese!

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Blue Jays' Cavan Biggio designated for assignment, Spencer Horwitz recalled

Arden Zwelling and Shi Davidi chat about the plan for Blue Jays' Spencer Horwitz, and how John Schneider will utilize him at the plate and on the field as he is expected to play regularly.

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