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something assigned, as a particular task or duty:
She completed the assignment and went on to other jobs.
a position of responsibility, post of duty, or the like, to which one is appointed:
He left for his assignment in the Middle East.
an act of assigning; appointment.
Law.

the transference of a right, interest, or title, or the instrument of transfer.
a transference of property to for the benefit of creditors.

Contemporary Examples

Oh, the lucky municipal officials who find themselves on that assignment.
The Internet’s Latest Pearl-Clutching Panic Over Mamading Is Insane Emily Shire July 3, 2014

For one, the assignment of specialties in the military is fairly arbitrary.
From War to Work: Why and How Companies Should Hire Post-9/11 Veterans Zachary Iscol October 30, 2012

Some members of the leadership are charging that he bungled his assignment in Qatar.
Afghanistan: Will the Taliban Destroy Itself? Sami Yousafzai December 16, 2012

Photographer Charles Ommanney, on assignment for Newsweek and The Daily Beast, follows the erstwhile frontrunner.
Daily Beast Contributors Weigh In on Mitt Romney’s Florida Win January 31, 2012

I met Bobby in Buenos Aires in 1971, while on assignment for Life magazine.
The Bobby Fischer I Knew Harry Benson June 12, 2011

Historical Examples

This assignment of Luidhard to the bishopric of Soissons may perhaps be explained by an interesting story.
The Christian Church in These Islands before the Coming of Augustine George Forrest Browne

It was at noon of the third day he had been at work when John was given his first assignment.
Spring Street James H. Richardson

The assignment of work to the various assistants will naturally depend upon their respective qualifications.
A Book for All Readers Ainsworth Rand Spofford

One of the detectives detailed to this assignment was Hyman Ginsburg.
From Place to Place Irvin S. Cobb

Kitty’s chief, and together they manufactured an assignment that was always a pleasant recollection to Kitty.
The Drums Of Jeopardy Harold MacGrath

noun
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
(law)

the transfer to another of a right, interest, or title to property, esp personal property: 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
(Austral, history) a system (1789–1841) whereby a convict could become the unpaid servant of a freeman
n.

late 14c., “order, request, directive,” from Old French assignement “(legal) assignment (of dower, etc.),” from Late Latin assignamentum, noun of action from Latin assignare (see assign). Meaning “appointment to office” is mid-15c.; that of “a task assigned” (to someone) is from c.1848.
programming
Storing the value of an expression in a variable. This is commonly written in the form “v = e”. In Algol the assignment operator was “:=” (pronounced “becomes”) to avoid mathematicians qualms about writing statements like x = x+1.
Assignment is not allowed in functional languages, where an identifier always has the same value.
See also referential transparency, single assignment, zero assignment.
(1996-08-19)