can the word assignment be plural

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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 22 May. 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

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Assignment or Assignments?

• Thread starter Marie1541
• Start date Oct 17, 2017

• Oct 17, 2017

Sorry, I just have a quick question. In the following sentence: I also worked on different assignment highlighting social data, such as the repartition of the women in politics per ridings, among other projects. should the word assignment should be plural? I worked on different assignments or I worked on different assignment? Thank you kindly, Marie  

Senior Member

It should be plural 'assignments'.  

Thank you Dretagoto. Have a wonderful rest of your day!  

I also wonder whether you mean distribution of women in politics. Repartition is not a common word in English.  

e2efour said: I also wonder whether you mean distribution of women in politics. Repartition is not a common word in English. Click to expand...

Dretagoto said: I'd second that, especially if you're translating from the very similar word in French. Ah, cross-posted. Glad we could help you. Click to expand...

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Pluralizing Nouns and Verbs

Pluralizing nouns.

The plural form of a noun is the form a noun takes when it refers to more than one item—for example, apple is singular while apples is plural. In the English language, there are many rules and exceptions for pluralizing nouns. 

If you are unsure about the correct plural form of a noun, it is best to consult a dictionary. We will address some of the most common pluralization rules below.

The most common way to pluralize a noun is to add - s to the end. 

• girl – girls
• tree – trees
• the Walker family – the Walkers

When a noun ends in -ss, -x, -ch, -sh, or -z, pluralize it by adding -es to the end.

• box – boxes
• ditch – ditches
• business – businesses
• the Jones family – the Joneses
• the Pérez family – the Pérezes

The most common way to pluralize a noun ending in - o is by adding - es to the end.

• tomato – tomatoes
• hero – heroes
• echo – echoes

Some nouns ending in - o are pluralized by adding - s to the end.

• video – videos
• piano – pianos
• soprano – sopranos

When a noun ends in a vowel and -y, pluralize it by adding -s to the end.

• monkey – monkeys

When a noun ends in a consonant and - y , pluralize it by removing the - y and adding - ies to the end.

• city – cities
• body – bodies
• family – families

The most common way to pluralize a noun ending in - f  or - fe is by removing the - f or - fe and adding - ves to the end.

• knife – knives
• roof – rooves
• wolf – wolves

Some nouns ending in - f or - fe are pluralized by adding - s to the end.

• serif – serifs
• gaffe – gaffes

Some nouns have irregular plural forms. Memorize such words or refer to a dictionary for assistance.

• child – children
• woman – women
• mouse – mice
• crisis – crises
• syllabus – syllabi

Some nouns do not change spelling when pluralized.

• deer – deer
• moose – moose

Some nouns may be pluralized in different ways depending on the intended meaning.

• person – people (referring to more than one person)
• person – persons (referring to distinct individuals who should not be grouped together)
• people – peoples (referring to distinct groups of people)  
• fish – fish (referring to more than one fish)
• fish – fishes (referring to distinct groups of fish)  
• mouse – mice (referring to more than one rodent)
• mouse – mouses (referring to more than one computer mouse)

Some nouns may be pluralized in different ways if they are loan words from another language. In such cases, all are considered valid.

• persona – personas or personae
• cactus – cactuses or cacti
• stadium – stadiums or stadia
• octopus – octopuses, octopi, or octopodes
• mosquito – mosquitos or mosquitoes

When pluralizing a compound noun, pluralize the main noun, which is not always the first or last word in the word group. Refer to a dictionary for assistance when needed.

• secretary of state – secretaries of state
• father-in-law – fathers-in-law
• surgeon general – surgeons general
• nurse practitioner – nurse practitioners

When using a foreign compound noun or phrase from another language, pluralize the noun or phrase by adding - s to the end.

• mise en place – mise en places
• ne plus ultra – ne plus ultras

Pluralizing Verbs

Verbs can also be pluralized. The verb in a predicate must match forms with the noun in a subject. this is known as subject-verb agreement. When the noun in a subject is singular, the verb in the predicate should be singular. When the noun in a subject is plural, the verb in the predicate should be plural.

If you are unsure about the correct form of a verb, it is best to consult a dictionary.

The most common way to make a verb singular is by adding -s to the end.

• The child runs .
• The knight seizes the castle.

When a verb ends in -s s , - x , - ch ,   - sh,  - o , or - z,  make it singular by adding - es to the end.

• Annie goes to the bank.
• The professor teaches .
• The evil witch hexes the prince.
• The security officer buzzes me in.

When a verb ends in a vowel and - y , make it singular by adding - s to the end.

• The child plays with a doll.
• The loud truck annoys me.

When a verb ends in a consonant and - y , make it singular by removing the - y and adding - ies to the end.

• The pilot flies around the world.
• The mother worries about her child.

The most common way to make a verb plural is by leaving it unchanged from its base form.

• The children run.
• The professors teach.

Some verbs have irregular singular and plural forms. Memorize such words or refer to a dictionary for assistance.

• To be a college student is a wonderful opportunity.
• Aiden is a college student.
• Pam, Aiden, and Lex are college students.
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The Plural Forms of Words

What are the plural forms of words.

Forming the Plurals of Nouns

• 1 dog > 2 dogs
• 1 house > 2 houses
• 1 video > 2 videos
• How to form the plurals of nouns (spelling rules)
• How to form the plurals of compound nouns (e.g., mothers-in-law, Knights Templar)
• How to form the plurals of abbreviations (e.g., MOTs, L.R.S.s)

What Are the Plural Pronouns?

What is the plural form of a verb, what are plural demonstrative determiners.

Forming the Plurals of Foreign Words

• stadium > stadia or stadiums
• datum > data
• radius > radii or radiuses
• agendum > agenda

"Plural" Also Applies to Zero

• 0 dogs (plural)
• 1 dog (singular)
• 2 dogs (plural)
• 3 dogs (plural)
• There are no alligators in the lake.

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Module 1: Grammar

Regular plural nouns.

Let’s start with regular plurals: regular plural nouns use established patterns to indicate there is more than one of a thing.

Recognize nouns marked with plural form – s.

As was mentioned earlier, we add the plural suffix – s to most words:

• bear → bears
• zebra → zebras

However, after sounds s , z , sh , ch , and j , we add the plural suffix – es :

• class → classes
• sash → sashes
• fox → foxes

Some words that end in  z also double their ending consonant, like  quizzes .

Do you know how to spell the plurals for the following words?

After the letter  o .

We also add the plural suffix – es to most words that end in o :

• potato → potatoes
• hero → heroes
• mosquito → mosquitoes

However, when the words have a foreign origin (e.g.,Latin, Greek, Spanish), we  just add the plural suffix – s

• taco → tacos
• avocado → avocados
• maestro → maestros

What are the correct plurals for the following words?

After – y  and – f , – fe

When a word ends in y  and there is a consonant before y , we change the y  to i  and add – es .

• sky → skies
• candy → candies
• lady → ladies

However, if the  y follows another vowel, you simply add an – s .

• alloy → alloys
• donkey → donkeys

When a word ends in – f or – fe , we change the f to v  and add – es .

• leaf → leaves
• life → lives
• calf → calves

However, if there are two terminal  f s or if you still pronounce the  f in the plural, then   you simply add an – s :

• cliff → cliffs
• chief → chiefs
• reef → reefs
• Regular Plural Nouns. Provided by : Lumen Learning. License : CC BY: Attribution
• Revision and Adaptation. Authored by : Gillian Paku. Provided by : SUNY Geneseo. License : CC BY: Attribution
• Image of two men. Authored by : Gregor Cresnar. Provided by : The Noun Project. Located at : https://thenounproject.com/search/?q=people&i=176708 . License : CC BY: Attribution

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Definition of 'assignment'

assignment in British English

Assignment in american english, examples of 'assignment' in a sentence assignment, cobuild collocations assignment, trends of assignment.

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• seat assignment
• tough assignment
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• 1.1 Etymology
• 1.2 Pronunciation
• 1.3.1 Hyponyms
• 1.3.2 Derived terms
• 1.3.3 Translations
• 1.4 References
• 2.1 Alternative forms
• 2.2 Etymology
• 2.3 Pronunciation
• 2.4.1 Synonyms
• 2.5 References

English [ edit ]

Etymology [ edit ].

From Middle English assignement , from Old French assignement .

Pronunciation [ edit ]

• Rhymes: -aɪnmənt

Noun [ edit ]

assignment ( countable and uncountable , plural assignments )

• 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.
• ( LGBT ) The categorization of persons as belonging to the male or female sex .
• An assigned task . The assignment the department gave him proved to be quite challenging.
• A position to which someone is assigned. Unbeknownst to Mr Smith, his new assignment was in fact a demotion.
• ( education ) A task given to students, such as homework or coursework . Mrs Smith gave out our assignments , and said we had to finish them by Monday.
• ( law ) A transfer of a right or benefit from one person to another. The assignment of the lease has not been finalised yet.
• ( law ) A document that effects this transfer. Once you receive the assignment in the post, be sure to sign it and send it back as soon as possible.
• ( programming ) An operation that assigns a value to a variable .

Hyponyms [ edit ]

• ( programming ) : augmented assignment

Derived terms [ edit ]

• antiassignment
• assignment operator
• frequency assignment
• misassignment
• nonassignment
• Procrustean assignment
• reassignment
• time-assignment speech interpolation
• unassignment
• understand the assignment

Translations [ edit ]

References [ edit ], chinese [ edit ], alternative forms [ edit ].

• asm ( pseudo-acronym )

From English assignment .

• Cantonese ( Jyutping ) : aa 6 saai 1 man 4
• Jyutping : aa 6 saai 1 man 4
• Yale : ah s ā ai màhn
• Cantonese Pinyin : aa 6 saai 1 man 4
• Guangdong Romanization : a 6 sai 1 men 4
• Sinological IPA ( key ) : /aː²² saːi̯ ⁵⁵ mɐn ²¹ /
• ( Hong Kong Cantonese ) assignment ; homework ; coursework ( Classifier : 份 c )

Synonyms [ edit ]

• Bauer, Robert S. ( 2021 ) ABC Cantonese-English Comprehensive Dictionary , Honolulu: University of Hawai'i Press, →ISBN , page 10
• English Loanwords in Hong Kong Cantonese

• English terms inherited from Middle English
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Meaning of assignment in English

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• It was a plum assignment - more of a vacation really.
• He took this award-winning photograph while on assignment in the Middle East .
• His two-year assignment to the Mexico office starts in September .
• She first visited Norway on assignment for the winter Olympics ten years ago.
• He fell in love with the area after being there on assignment for National Geographic in the 1950s.
• act as something
• all work and no play (makes Jack a dull boy) idiom
• be at work idiom
• be in work idiom
• housekeeping
• in the line of duty idiom
• short-staffed
• undertaking

You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:

assignment | Intermediate English

Assignment | business english, examples of assignment, collocations with assignment.

These are words often used in combination with assignment .

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Translations of assignment

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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 ]

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Definition of assign verb from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

• assign something (to somebody) The teacher assigned a different task to each of the children.
• The two large classrooms have been assigned to us.
• assign somebody something We have been assigned the two large classrooms.
• The teacher assigned each of the children a different task.

Questions about grammar and vocabulary?

Find the answers with Practical English Usage online, your indispensable guide to problems in English.

• assign somebody (to something/as something) They've assigned their best man to the job.
• Two senior officers have been assigned to the case.
• assign somebody to do something British forces have been assigned to help with peacekeeping.
• be assigned to somebody/something I was assigned to B platoon.
• He was assigned to the Royal Canadian Navy in 1975.
• assign something to something Assign a different colour to each different type of information.
• assign something sth The painting cannot be assigned an exact date.
• The agreement assigns copyright to the publisher.
• She has assigned the lease to her daughter.

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