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Assignments: The Basic Law

The assignment of a right or obligation is a common contractual event under the law and the right to assign (or prohibition against assignments) is found in the majority of agreements, leases and business structural documents created in the United States.

As with many terms commonly used, people are familiar with the term but often are not aware or fully aware of what the terms entail. The concept of assignment of rights and obligations is one of those simple concepts with wide ranging ramifications in the contractual and business context and the law imposes severe restrictions on the validity and effect of assignment in many instances. Clear contractual provisions concerning assignments and rights should be in every document and structure created and this article will outline why such drafting is essential for the creation of appropriate and effective contracts and structures.

The reader should first read the article on Limited Liability Entities in the United States and Contracts since the information in those articles will be assumed in this article.

Basic Definitions and Concepts:

An assignment is the transfer of rights held by one party called the “assignor” to another party called the “assignee.” The legal nature of the assignment and the contractual terms of the agreement between the parties determines some additional rights and liabilities that accompany the assignment. The assignment of rights under a contract usually completely transfers the rights to the assignee to receive the benefits accruing under the contract. Ordinarily, the term assignment is limited to the transfer of rights that are intangible, like contractual rights and rights connected with property. Merchants Service Co. v. Small Claims Court , 35 Cal. 2d 109, 113-114 (Cal. 1950).

An assignment will generally be permitted under the law unless there is an express prohibition against assignment in the underlying contract or lease. Where assignments are permitted, the assignor need not consult the other party to the contract but may merely assign the rights at that time. However, an assignment cannot have any adverse effect on the duties of the other party to the contract, nor can it diminish the chance of the other party receiving complete performance. The assignor normally remains liable unless there is an agreement to the contrary by the other party to the contract.

The effect of a valid assignment is to remove privity between the assignor and the obligor and create privity between the obligor and the assignee. Privity is usually defined as a direct and immediate contractual relationship. See Merchants case above.

Further, for the assignment to be effective in most jurisdictions, it must occur in the present. One does not normally assign a future right; the assignment vests immediate rights and obligations.

No specific language is required to create an assignment so long as the assignor makes clear his/her intent to assign identified contractual rights to the assignee. Since expensive litigation can erupt from ambiguous or vague language, obtaining the correct verbiage is vital. An agreement must manifest the intent to transfer rights and can either be oral or in writing and the rights assigned must be certain.

Note that an assignment of an interest is the transfer of some identifiable property, claim, or right from the assignor to the assignee. The assignment operates to transfer to the assignee all of the rights, title, or interest of the assignor in the thing assigned. A transfer of all rights, title, and interests conveys everything that the assignor owned in the thing assigned and the assignee stands in the shoes of the assignor. Knott v. McDonald’s Corp ., 985 F. Supp. 1222 (N.D. Cal. 1997)

The parties must intend to effectuate an assignment at the time of the transfer, although no particular language or procedure is necessary. As long ago as the case of National Reserve Co. v. Metropolitan Trust Co ., 17 Cal. 2d 827 (Cal. 1941), the court held that in determining what rights or interests pass under an assignment, the intention of the parties as manifested in the instrument is controlling.

The intent of the parties to an assignment is a question of fact to be derived not only from the instrument executed by the parties but also from the surrounding circumstances. When there is no writing to evidence the intention to transfer some identifiable property, claim, or right, it is necessary to scrutinize the surrounding circumstances and parties’ acts to ascertain their intentions. Strosberg v. Brauvin Realty Servs., 295 Ill. App. 3d 17 (Ill. App. Ct. 1st Dist. 1998)

The general rule applicable to assignments of choses in action is that an assignment, unless there is a contract to the contrary, carries with it all securities held by the assignor as collateral to the claim and all rights incidental thereto and vests in the assignee the equitable title to such collateral securities and incidental rights. An unqualified assignment of a contract or chose in action, however, with no indication of the intent of the parties, vests in the assignee the assigned contract or chose and all rights and remedies incidental thereto.

More examples: In Strosberg v. Brauvin Realty Servs ., 295 Ill. App. 3d 17 (Ill. App. Ct. 1st Dist. 1998), the court held that the assignee of a party to a subordination agreement is entitled to the benefits and is subject to the burdens of the agreement. In Florida E. C. R. Co. v. Eno , 99 Fla. 887 (Fla. 1930), the court held that the mere assignment of all sums due in and of itself creates no different or other liability of the owner to the assignee than that which existed from the owner to the assignor.

And note that even though an assignment vests in the assignee all rights, remedies, and contingent benefits which are incidental to the thing assigned, those which are personal to the assignor and for his sole benefit are not assigned. Rasp v. Hidden Valley Lake, Inc ., 519 N.E.2d 153, 158 (Ind. Ct. App. 1988). Thus, if the underlying agreement provides that a service can only be provided to X, X cannot assign that right to Y.

Novation Compared to Assignment:

Although the difference between a novation and an assignment may appear narrow, it is an essential one. “Novation is a act whereby one party transfers all its obligations and benefits under a contract to a third party.” In a novation, a third party successfully substitutes the original party as a party to the contract. “When a contract is novated, the other contracting party must be left in the same position he was in prior to the novation being made.”

A sublease is the transfer when a tenant retains some right of reentry onto the leased premises. However, if the tenant transfers the entire leasehold estate, retaining no right of reentry or other reversionary interest, then the transfer is an assignment. The assignor is normally also removed from liability to the landlord only if the landlord consents or allowed that right in the lease. In a sublease, the original tenant is not released from the obligations of the original lease.

Equitable Assignments:

An equitable assignment is one in which one has a future interest and is not valid at law but valid in a court of equity. In National Bank of Republic v. United Sec. Life Ins. & Trust Co. , 17 App. D.C. 112 (D.C. Cir. 1900), the court held that to constitute an equitable assignment of a chose in action, the following has to occur generally: anything said written or done, in pursuance of an agreement and for valuable consideration, or in consideration of an antecedent debt, to place a chose in action or fund out of the control of the owner, and appropriate it to or in favor of another person, amounts to an equitable assignment. Thus, an agreement, between a debtor and a creditor, that the debt shall be paid out of a specific fund going to the debtor may operate as an equitable assignment.

In Egyptian Navigation Co. v. Baker Invs. Corp. , 2008 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 30804 (S.D.N.Y. Apr. 14, 2008), the court stated that an equitable assignment occurs under English law when an assignor, with an intent to transfer his/her right to a chose in action, informs the assignee about the right so transferred.

An executory agreement or a declaration of trust are also equitable assignments if unenforceable as assignments by a court of law but enforceable by a court of equity exercising sound discretion according to the circumstances of the case. Since California combines courts of equity and courts of law, the same court would hear arguments as to whether an equitable assignment had occurred. Quite often, such relief is granted to avoid fraud or unjust enrichment.

Note that obtaining an assignment through fraudulent means invalidates the assignment. Fraud destroys the validity of everything into which it enters. It vitiates the most solemn contracts, documents, and even judgments. Walker v. Rich , 79 Cal. App. 139 (Cal. App. 1926). If an assignment is made with the fraudulent intent to delay, hinder, and defraud creditors, then it is void as fraudulent in fact. See our article on Transfers to Defraud Creditors .

But note that the motives that prompted an assignor to make the transfer will be considered as immaterial and will constitute no defense to an action by the assignee, if an assignment is considered as valid in all other respects.

Enforceability of Assignments:

Whether a right under a contract is capable of being transferred is determined by the law of the place where the contract was entered into. The validity and effect of an assignment is determined by the law of the place of assignment. The validity of an assignment of a contractual right is governed by the law of the state with the most significant relationship to the assignment and the parties.

In some jurisdictions, the traditional conflict of laws rules governing assignments has been rejected and the law of the place having the most significant contacts with the assignment applies. In Downs v. American Mut. Liability Ins. Co ., 14 N.Y.2d 266 (N.Y. 1964), a wife and her husband separated and the wife obtained a judgment of separation from the husband in New York. The judgment required the husband to pay a certain yearly sum to the wife. The husband assigned 50 percent of his future salary, wages, and earnings to the wife. The agreement authorized the employer to make such payments to the wife.

After the husband moved from New York, the wife learned that he was employed by an employer in Massachusetts. She sent the proper notice and demanded payment under the agreement. The employer refused and the wife brought an action for enforcement. The court observed that Massachusetts did not prohibit assignment of the husband’s wages. Moreover, Massachusetts law was not controlling because New York had the most significant relationship with the assignment. Therefore, the court ruled in favor of the wife.

Therefore, the validity of an assignment is determined by looking to the law of the forum with the most significant relationship to the assignment itself. To determine the applicable law of assignments, the court must look to the law of the state which is most significantly related to the principal issue before it.

Assignment of Contractual Rights:

Generally, the law allows the assignment of a contractual right unless the substitution of rights would materially change the duty of the obligor, materially increase the burden or risk imposed on the obligor by the contract, materially impair the chance of obtaining return performance, or materially reduce the value of the performance to the obligor. Restat 2d of Contracts, § 317(2)(a). This presumes that the underlying agreement is silent on the right to assign.

If the contract specifically precludes assignment, the contractual right is not assignable. Whether a contract is assignable is a matter of contractual intent and one must look to the language used by the parties to discern that intent.

In the absence of an express provision to the contrary, the rights and duties under a bilateral executory contract that does not involve personal skill, trust, or confidence may be assigned without the consent of the other party. But note that an assignment is invalid if it would materially alter the other party’s duties and responsibilities. Once an assignment is effective, the assignee stands in the shoes of the assignor and assumes all of assignor’s rights. Hence, after a valid assignment, the assignor’s right to performance is extinguished, transferred to assignee, and the assignee possesses the same rights, benefits, and remedies assignor once possessed. Robert Lamb Hart Planners & Architects v. Evergreen, Ltd. , 787 F. Supp. 753 (S.D. Ohio 1992).

On the other hand, an assignee’s right against the obligor is subject to “all of the limitations of the assignor’s right, all defenses thereto, and all set-offs and counterclaims which would have been available against the assignor had there been no assignment, provided that these defenses and set-offs are based on facts existing at the time of the assignment.” See Robert Lamb , case, above.

The power of the contract to restrict assignment is broad. Usually, contractual provisions that restrict assignment of the contract without the consent of the obligor are valid and enforceable, even when there is statutory authorization for the assignment. The restriction of the power to assign is often ineffective unless the restriction is expressly and precisely stated. Anti-assignment clauses are effective only if they contain clear, unambiguous language of prohibition. Anti-assignment clauses protect only the obligor and do not affect the transaction between the assignee and assignor.

Usually, a prohibition against the assignment of a contract does not prevent an assignment of the right to receive payments due, unless circumstances indicate the contrary. Moreover, the contracting parties cannot, by a mere non-assignment provision, prevent the effectual alienation of the right to money which becomes due under the contract.

A contract provision prohibiting or restricting an assignment may be waived, or a party may so act as to be estopped from objecting to the assignment, such as by effectively ratifying the assignment. The power to void an assignment made in violation of an anti-assignment clause may be waived either before or after the assignment. See our article on Contracts.

Noncompete Clauses and Assignments:

Of critical import to most buyers of businesses is the ability to ensure that key employees of the business being purchased cannot start a competing company. Some states strictly limit such clauses, some do allow them. California does restrict noncompete clauses, only allowing them under certain circumstances. A common question in those states that do allow them is whether such rights can be assigned to a new party, such as the buyer of the buyer.

A covenant not to compete, also called a non-competitive clause, is a formal agreement prohibiting one party from performing similar work or business within a designated area for a specified amount of time. This type of clause is generally included in contracts between employer and employee and contracts between buyer and seller of a business.

Many workers sign a covenant not to compete as part of the paperwork required for employment. It may be a separate document similar to a non-disclosure agreement, or buried within a number of other clauses in a contract. A covenant not to compete is generally legal and enforceable, although there are some exceptions and restrictions.

Whenever a company recruits skilled employees, it invests a significant amount of time and training. For example, it often takes years before a research chemist or a design engineer develops a workable knowledge of a company’s product line, including trade secrets and highly sensitive information. Once an employee gains this knowledge and experience, however, all sorts of things can happen. The employee could work for the company until retirement, accept a better offer from a competing company or start up his or her own business.

A covenant not to compete may cover a number of potential issues between employers and former employees. Many companies spend years developing a local base of customers or clients. It is important that this customer base not fall into the hands of local competitors. When an employee signs a covenant not to compete, he or she usually agrees not to use insider knowledge of the company’s customer base to disadvantage the company. The covenant not to compete often defines a broad geographical area considered off-limits to former employees, possibly tens or hundreds of miles.

Another area of concern covered by a covenant not to compete is a potential ‘brain drain’. Some high-level former employees may seek to recruit others from the same company to create new competition. Retention of employees, especially those with unique skills or proprietary knowledge, is vital for most companies, so a covenant not to compete may spell out definite restrictions on the hiring or recruiting of employees.

A covenant not to compete may also define a specific amount of time before a former employee can seek employment in a similar field. Many companies offer a substantial severance package to make sure former employees are financially solvent until the terms of the covenant not to compete have been met.

Because the use of a covenant not to compete can be controversial, a handful of states, including California, have largely banned this type of contractual language. The legal enforcement of these agreements falls on individual states, and many have sided with the employee during arbitration or litigation. A covenant not to compete must be reasonable and specific, with defined time periods and coverage areas. If the agreement gives the company too much power over former employees or is ambiguous, state courts may declare it to be overbroad and therefore unenforceable. In such case, the employee would be free to pursue any employment opportunity, including working for a direct competitor or starting up a new company of his or her own.

It has been held that an employee’s covenant not to compete is assignable where one business is transferred to another, that a merger does not constitute an assignment of a covenant not to compete, and that a covenant not to compete is enforceable by a successor to the employer where the assignment does not create an added burden of employment or other disadvantage to the employee. However, in some states such as Hawaii, it has also been held that a covenant not to compete is not assignable and under various statutes for various reasons that such covenants are not enforceable against an employee by a successor to the employer. Hawaii v. Gannett Pac. Corp. , 99 F. Supp. 2d 1241 (D. Haw. 1999)

It is vital to obtain the relevant law of the applicable state before drafting or attempting to enforce assignment rights in this particular area.

Conclusion:

In the current business world of fast changing structures, agreements, employees and projects, the ability to assign rights and obligations is essential to allow flexibility and adjustment to new situations. Conversely, the ability to hold a contracting party into the deal may be essential for the future of a party. Thus, the law of assignments and the restriction on same is a critical aspect of every agreement and every structure. This basic provision is often glanced at by the contracting parties, or scribbled into the deal at the last minute but can easily become the most vital part of the transaction.

As an example, one client of ours came into the office outraged that his co venturer on a sizable exporting agreement, who had excellent connections in Brazil, had elected to pursue another venture instead and assigned the agreement to a party unknown to our client and without the business contacts our client considered vital. When we examined the handwritten agreement our client had drafted in a restaurant in Sao Paolo, we discovered there was no restriction on assignment whatsoever…our client had not even considered that right when drafting the agreement after a full day of work.

One choses who one does business with carefully…to ensure that one’s choice remains the party on the other side of the contract, one must master the ability to negotiate proper assignment provisions.

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Difference Between Assignment and Transfer

The difference between assignment and transfer is that assign means it's legal to transfer property or a legal right from one person to another. 3 min read

The difference between assignment and transfer is that assign means it's legal to transfer property or a legal right from one person to another, while transfer means it's legal to arrange for something to be controlled by or officially belong to another person.

When used as verbs, assign means to set apart or designate something for a purpose while transfer means to pass or move from one person, place, or thing to someone or someplace else. When used as nouns, assign means the assignee and transfer is the act of removing or conveying something from one person, thing, or place to another. Transfer generally refers to titles whereas assignment is used with obligations and rights.

Definitions of Assignment and Transfer

• Assignment: Assignment is used in real estate law and contracts law. It covers the transfer of rights held by the assignor to the assignee.
• Transfer: To remove or convey from one person or place to someone or somewhere else.

Distinction Between Assignment and Transfer

When distinguishing between assignment and transfer, take licenses, for example. Licenses are contracts that don't allow legal action for infringement. They fall under state law. Therefore, state law will decide whether the license is an obligation or right that can be transferred or assigned legally.

One way to distinguish this example is that an individual contract under an agreement cannot be assigned, like entitlement to grant back royalties . In addition, the contract cannot be transferred. You need to break it down and figure out what the actual issue is — the parties' intent. An additional distinction is when the contract holder is an entity and the business owners want to transfer a portion or all of their stock. This can be seen as an implied transfer of the whole contract. However, it would not likely be an assignment of the rights covered under this agreement.

Difference Between Assign and License

The key difference between assign and license is that with a license, the person who grants permission, known as the licensor, keeps an interest in the product being licensed . In an assignment, the assignor will transfer his or her rights to the product or property being assigned.

Another difference is that assignments must be in writing and a license can be executed without being written. Consider, for example, intellectual property such as patents. Patents can be licensed verbally in some instances, but assignments for patents must be in writing and filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office .

Assignments grant the assignee full ownership of a product or property. Therefore, an assignment will typically cost more to acquire than a license.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are there ever situations in which a license can be transferred but is not assignable?

• Yes, in the case of allowing an assignment to one of your affiliates, the assignor would still be liable for the performance of the agreement under general assignment law. In this situation, you would not typically permit a transfer, because in a transfer, the person transferring would not maintain any obligations related to performance. Don't rely solely on this general understanding, but still expressly detail your agreement on what a licensee can legally do.

How will transfer and assignment rights affect someone's ability to sublicense?

• In theory, if a licensee has the authority to assign license rights to someone else, you could argue that it also provides the right to sublicense it. The issue here is that with a sublicense, the person sublicensing it keeps a license right, therefore effectively creating two licensees. With an assignment, only one right is assigned, and the assignee is the one who has possession of the license. With well-drafted licenses, the right to sublicense is not typically implied, as the licensor is the one who reserves all rights that are not expressly granted.

What is the effect of poorly drafted licenses?

• A poorly drafted license could result in giving someone implied rights to also sublicense. An example is a software license that allows a licensee to access the software without clarifying any restrictions or clearly defining the word “use.” This means that, depending on what this software is supposed to do, someone could think the term “use” means the licensee has permission to grant a sublicense as part of their usage rights.

If you need help understanding the difference between assignment and transfer, you can post your legal need on UpCounsel's marketplace. UpCounsel only accepts the top 5 percent of lawyers to its site. Lawyers on UpCounsel come from law schools such as Harvard Law and Yale Law and average 14 years of legal experience, including work with or on behalf of companies like Google, Menlo Ventures, and Airbnb.

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• Legal Assignment
• Assignment Legal Definition
• Assignment Of Contracts
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• What Is the Definition of Assigns
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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 9 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

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What Is Share Capital?

Understanding share capital, the bottom line.

• Corporate Finance

What Is Share Capital? How It Works and Types

Share capital is the money a company raises by issuing common or preferred stock. The amount of share capital or equity financing a company has can change over time with additional public offerings .

The term share capital can mean slightly different things depending on the context. Accountants have a much narrower definition and their definition rules on the balance sheets of public companies. It means the total amount raised by the company in sales of shares.

Key Takeaways

• A company's share capital is the money it raises from selling common or preferred stock.
• Authorized share capital is the maximum amount a company has been approved to raise in a public offering.
• A company may opt for a new offer of stock in order to increase the share capital on its balance sheet.

Investopedia / Crea Taylor

Share capital is reported by a company on its balance sheet in the shareholder's equity section. The information may be listed in separate line items depending on the source of the funds. These usually include a line for common stock, another for preferred stock, and a third for additional paid-in capital .

Common stock and preferred stock shares are reported at their par value at the time of sale. In modern business, the "par" or face value is a nominal figure. The actual amount received by a company in excess of par value is reported as "additional paid-in capital."

On a balance sheet, the proceeds of stock sales are listed at their nominal par value while the "additional paid-in capital" line reflects the real price paid over par for the shares.

The amount of share capital reported by a company includes only payments for purchases made directly from the company. The later sales and purchases of those shares and the rise or fall of their prices on the open market have no effect on the company's share capital.

A company may opt to have more than one public offering after its initial public offering (IPO). The proceeds of those later sales would increase the share capital on its balance sheet.

Types of Share Capital

The term "share capital" is often used to mean slightly different things depending on the context. When discussing the amount of money a company can legally raise through the sale of stock, there are several categories of share capital.

Accountants have a much narrower definition.

Authorized Share Capital

Before a company can raise equity capital, it must obtain permission to execute the sale of stock. The company must specify the total amount of equity it wants to raise and the base value of its shares, called the par value.

The maximum amount of share capital a company is allowed to raise is called its authorized capital.

This does not limit the number of shares a company may issue but it puts a ceiling on the total amount of money that can be raised by the sale of those shares. For example, if a company obtains authorization to raise $5 million and its stock has a par value of $1, it may issue and sell up to 5 million shares of stock.

Issued Share Capital

The total value of the shares a company elects to sell to investors is called its issued share capital. The par value of the issued share capital cannot exceed the value of the authorized share capital. Some companies—depending on where they are located—can issue investor called-up shares with the promise to be paid in full at a later date.

Share Capital on a Balance Sheet

The technical accounting definition of share capital is the par value of all equity securities, including common and preferred stock, sold to shareholders.

However, people who are not accountants often include the price of the stock in excess of par value in the calculation of share capital. As noted, the par value of stock is nominal, typically $1 or less. So, the difference between the par value and the real sale price, called paid-in capital , is usually considerable. Nevertheless, it is not technically included in share capital or capped by authorized capital limits.

Here's an example, and how it appears on a balance sheet: Assume company ABC issues 1,000 shares. Each share has a par value of $1 and sells for $25. The company's accountant will record $1,000 as share capital and the remaining $24,000 as additional paid-in capital.

Is Share Capital the Same As Equity?

The share capital is the part of a company's equity that it has raised from issuing common or preferred shares and is different from other types of equity accounts.

What Are the 2 Classes of Share Capital?

Share capital is considered to be either common or preferred stock.  Each category has specific rights attached to the shares.

What Are Other Names for Share Capital?

Share capital is also called shareholders' capital, equity capital, contributed capital, or paid-in capital. 

Share capital is the funding a company has raised through issuing common or preferred stock. Authorized share capital is the maximum amount of share capital a company is allowed to raise. Issued share capital is the total amount of shares a company opts to sell to investors. A company that wants to raise more equity and increase its share capital can do so by obtaining authorization (from its Board of Directors and shareholders) to issue and sell additional shares.

U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. " Topic 1 - Registrant's Financial Statements ."

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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

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

Share vs Assignment - What's the difference?

Share is a related term of assignment ., in computing|lang=en terms the difference between share and assignment, as nouns the difference between share and assignment, as a verb share, etymology 1, derived terms, etymology 2.

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Other forms: assignments

Whether you’re an international spy with a new mission or a high school student with math homework — when you get an assignment , you’d better do it! An assignment is a task that someone in authority has asked you to do.

The word assignment is just the noun form of the common verb assign , which you use when you want to give someone a duty or a job. When you assign something, that something is called an assignment . The word can also refer to the act of distributing something. If you are distributing new office furniture at work, you might say, “ Assignment of the new chairs will begin tomorrow.”

• noun an undertaking that you have been assigned to do (as by an instructor) see more see less types: show 6 types... hide 6 types... school assignment , schoolwork a school task performed by a student to satisfy the teacher writing assignment , written assignment an assignment to write something classroom project a school task requiring considerable effort classwork the part of a student's work that is done in the classroom homework , prep , preparation preparatory school work done outside school (especially at home) lesson a task assigned for individual study type of: labor , project , task , undertaking any piece of work that is undertaken or attempted
• noun a duty that you are assigned to perform (especially in the armed forces) “a hazardous assignment ” synonyms: duty assignment see more see less types: show 10 types... hide 10 types... guard , guard duty , sentry duty , sentry go the duty of serving as a sentry fatigue , fatigue duty labor of a nonmilitary kind done by soldiers (cleaning or digging or draining or so on) charge , commission , mission a special assignment that is given to a person or group reassignment assignment to a different duty sea-duty , service abroad , shipboard duty naval service aboard a ship at sea shore duty naval service at land bases fool's errand a fruitless mission mission impossible an extremely dangerous or difficult mission martyr operation , sacrifice operation , suicide mission killing or injuring others while annihilating yourself; usually accomplished with a bomb secondment the detachment of a person from their regular organization for temporary assignment elsewhere type of: duty work that you are obliged to perform for moral or legal reasons
• noun the act of putting a person into a non-elective position synonyms: appointment , designation , naming see more see less types: show 6 types... hide 6 types... nomination the act of officially naming a candidate co-optation , co-option the act of appointing summarily (with or without the appointee's consent) delegacy the appointment of a delegate ordinance , ordination the act of ordaining; the act of conferring (or receiving) holy orders recognition designation by the chair granting a person the right to speak in a deliberative body laying on of hands laying hands on a person's head to invoke spiritual blessing in Christian ordination type of: conclusion , decision , determination the act of making up your mind about something
• noun the act of distributing something to designated places or persons “the first task is the assignment of an address to each datum” synonyms: assigning see more see less types: allocation , storage allocation (computer science) the assignment of particular areas of a magnetic disk to particular data or instructions type of: distribution the act of distributing or spreading or apportioning
• noun (law) a transfer of property by deed of conveyance synonyms: grant see more see less types: apanage , appanage a grant (by a sovereign or a legislative body) of resources to maintain a dependent member of a ruling family land grant a grant of public land (as to a railway or college) type of: transferred possession , transferred property a possession whose ownership changes or lapses
• noun the instrument by which a claim or right or interest or property is transferred from one person to another see more see less type of: instrument , legal document , legal instrument , official document (law) a document that states some contractual relationship or grants some right

Vocabulary lists containing assignment

The Dawes Act, or General Allotment Act of 1887, was a law that allowed the U.S. government to take Native American tribal lands and divide them into 40 acre lots for individual Native Americans. The goal was to break up communal tribal lands and speed the assimilation of Native Americans into American society. The Dawes Act caused great suffering with much of the land winding up in the hands of white settlers.

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Definition of assignment noun from the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary

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Meaning of assignment – Learner’s Dictionary

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(Definition of assignment from the Cambridge Learner's Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

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a soft toy bear

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Red Sox infielder Bobby Dalbec designated for assignment

Bobby Dalbec appeared to have a promising future with the Red Sox when he belted 33 home runs and drove in 94 runs over 156 games from 2020-21.

But the 29-year-old infielder was designated for assignment on Sunday, that promise undone by an avalanche of strikeouts.

Dalbec was dropped from the 40-man roster to open a space for rookie righthander Richard Fitts , who allowed two unearned runs over 5⅔ innings in a 7-2 loss against the White Sox .

Dalbec is not eligible to be traded. But he could be claimed off waivers or become a free agent if the Red Sox release him.

A fresh start with another organization might be for the best. Dalbec has hit .198 with 189 strikeouts in 499 plate appearances (38 percent) over 175 major league games the last three seasons.

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Dalbec hit .127 in 37 games for the Sox this season with one home run. He was demoted to Triple A Worcester in June.

“If you look at the swing-and-miss percentages, it’s up there,” Sox manager Alex Cora said.

“But he’s still a good player. Good defender; has some pop. He’s a good athlete so we’ll see what happens in the upcoming days.”

Dalbec, a fourth-round draft pick out of the University of Arizona in 2016, hit .256 with an .833 OPS and 19 homers in 85 games for the WooSox this season.

Fitts, 24, was one of the three pitching prospects obtained from the Yankees for Alex Verdugo in December. He was 9-5 with a 4.17 ERA in 24 games for Worcester.

Righthander Chase Shugart was optioned to Worcester to accommodate Fitts on the major league roster. Shugart appeared in three games and allowed four runs on seven hits over six innings.

Boggs has cancer

Hall of Famer Wade Boggs , 66, has prostate cancer. He made the announcement via social media on Saturday.

“I’ve never been a goal oriented person but with the strength and support of my family and my faith in God I’m going to ring that damn bell,” Boggs wrote on X, referring to the ritual cancer patients have when their treatment is finished.

I’ve never been a goal oriented person but with the strength and support of my family and my faith in God I’m going to ring that damn bell 💪🏻🙏 #positiveattitude pic.twitter.com/Ida9Y9mXbc — Wade Boggs (@ChickenMan3010) September 7, 2024

Boggs played for the Red Sox from 1982-92 before playing five seasons with the Yankees and two with the Rays.

He finished his career with 3,010 hits and was a 12-time All-Star with five batting titles. Boggs hit .327 in his career, 39th all-time.

One in eight men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime according to the American Cancer Society.

Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg , who was inducted with Boggs in 2005, overcame metastatic prostate cancer earlier this year.

Boggs remains scheduled to be at Fenway Park on Sept. 21 to be inducted into the Irish American Baseball Hall of Fame.

Houck pushed back

Tanner Houck will get three extra days of rest and not start until Friday against the Yankees in New York. He came out of his start against the Mets on Wednesday with more than the usual soreness.

“He’s doing OK. Just giving him a blow here,” Cora said. “He feels actually better [Sunday].”

Houck is 8-10 with a 3.24 ERA. He leads the Sox with 169⅔ innings — 63⅔ more than last season.

The Sox will start Brayan Bello , Kutter Crawford , and Nick Pivetta against the Orioles in the series that starts on Monday.

Guerrero debuts

Luis Guerrero, a 24-year-old righthander, made his major league debut and retired both batters he faced in the ninth inning. Guerrero is from the Dominican Republic, but grew up in Boston, and was a 17th-round draft pick in 2021 . . . Liam Hendriks has pitched in one minor league game over the last nine days but still believes he will return this season. The righthander said his next few outings could be live batting practice sessions where his workload can be better controlled. Hendriks said it’s important to him to get into a few games before the season ends . . . Trevor Story batted eighth for the first time since Sept. 1, 2017, his second season in the majors. He was 1 for 3 and is 2 for 7 in two games since coming off the injured list. The plan is to hit him lower in the order given the long layoff . . . David Ortiz was at Fenway Park on Saturday and told Wilyer Abreu to consider cutting down on how hard he swings to gain more control of the bat. That was an adjustment he made in his career that paid off. Abreu is 2 for 5 with a double and a homer since that discussion. Ortiz told Abreu they would work together in spring training next season . . . Mike Gorman , who retired after 43 years of calling Celtics games on television, threw out the first pitch.

Peter Abraham can be reached at [email protected] . Follow him @PeteAbe .

Dodgers select Nick Ramirez

LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Dodgers selected the contract of left-handed pitcher Nick Ramirez and optioned left-handed pitcher Justin Wrobleski. In order to make room for Ramirez on the 40-man roster, the Dodgers designated right-handed pitcher Michael Petersen for assignment.

Ramirez, 35, rejoins the Dodgers for his second stint with the club after being designated for assignment on July 30. With the big club, he was 0-0 with a 6.75 ERA in seven games. He made 25 appearances with Oklahoma City this season, going a combined 3-1 with a 4.65 ERA and 25 strikeouts in 31.0 innings. He was acquired from the New York Yankees on April 2 for cash considerations, and he is a combined 7-7 with a 4.20 ERA in 103 Major League appearances with Detroit (2019-20), San Diego (2021), New York-AL (2023) and Los Angeles (2024).

Wrobleski, 24, pitched two scoreless innings last night, allowing one hit and striking out two batters. The southpaw is 1-2 and a 6.40 ERA with the Dodgers in seven games, striking out 22 in 32.1 innings and producing a 1.42 WHIP. With Triple-A Oklahoma City this season, he has posted a 0-2 record with a 5.26 ERA (15 ER/25.2 IP) in five starts with 15 strikeouts. He began the season with Double-A Tulsa, starting 13 games and producing a 5-2 record with a 3.06 ERA (23 ER/67.2 IP) and 62 strikeouts against just 13 walks. The Hoffman Estates, Illinois native was originally drafted in the 11th round of the 2021 First-Year Player Draft by the Dodgers out of Oklahoma State University.