consign

USAGE SUMMARY

The word 'consign' is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it as a verb to mean "to arrange for something to go to a particular place or person". For example, you might say "The company consigned the shipment of their product to the buyer."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

I had only intended to give it a cursory scan, but three hours later I was still there, unable to consign anything to the bin.

The Guardian

Writing in Progress magazine, Pat McFadden, the shadow Europe minister, warned: "It would be a huge mistake for Labour to consign itself to irrelevance on the critical issue of the country's future membership of the EU or the wider issue of how Britain sees its world role.

The Guardian

We cannot simply consign these questions to history, draw a thick line and move on with the promise of "never again".

The Guardian - Opinion

A draw will be enough to hand the title to FH and consign their title rivals, best known for extravagantly choreographed goal celebrations that have won them so many fans on YouTube, to the runners-up spot despite not losing a game.

The Guardian - Sport

The series three announcement means that it might now be time to consign Broadchurch to the bin marked shows that unnecessarily outlived their welcome.

The Guardian - TV & Radio

Government ministers consign most to these reports to the rubbish bin.

The Guardian - Opinion

We can now consign 'we are all in this together' to the lexicon of history, to join 'big society'.

The Guardian - Opinion

However, McInnes sliced through at the death to consign the Eels to their 18th loss in 19 games at the Olympic venue and leave them in outright last spot on the NRL ladder.

The Guardian - Sport

Steven Cohen, a hedge-fund manager, agreed to consign it to Phillips in exchange for a third-party guarantee (also called an "irrevocable bid") rumoured to be from the house's principal owners, Leonid Friedland and Leonid Strunin (known in the art world as "the Leonids").

The Economist

Literary editors tend to consign them straight to the bin.This is understandable.

The Economist

But imposing such rules around the world would be so hard that it would consign IFRS to join Esperanto on the dust-heap of dashed dreams.

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "consign" in a business context, be precise about the terms of the agreement, specifying responsibilities, risks, and ownership details clearly.

Common error

Avoid using "consign" when you mean to "assign" a task or duty temporarily. "Consign" often implies a more permanent or significant transfer, such as entrusting goods for sale.

Linguistic Context

The word "consign" functions primarily as a verb. It signifies the act of transferring something to another's custody, often for sale, transport, or safekeeping. Ludwig AI confirms its use in entrusting or committing something to a specific purpose, mirroring the examples found in the dataset.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

48%

Formal & Business

20%

Encyclopedias

5%

Less common in

Science

27%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "consign" is a verb that means to transfer something to the custody of someone, usually for a specific purpose such as sale or safekeeping. As confirmed by Ludwig AI, it's grammatically correct and widely used, especially in news, business, and encyclopedia contexts. Common related phrases include "entrust", "delegate", and "assign", each carrying subtle nuances in meaning. When writing, it's essential to differentiate "consign" from "assign" to ensure accuracy. With a high expert rating and frequent occurrence in authoritative sources, "consign" stands as a reliable and versatile term.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

entrust

Focuses on the act of giving responsibility or care to someone.

charge

Highlights entrusting someone with a duty or responsibility.

delegate

Implies assigning a task or responsibility to another person.

transfer

Emphasizes the movement of something from one place or person to another.

assign

Highlights the act of allocating something for a specific purpose.

commit

Suggests dedicating something to a particular cause or purpose.

deliver

Focuses on the action of bringing something to a destination or recipient.

dispatch

Implies sending something quickly and efficiently.

relegate

Suggests moving something to a lower or less important position.

remit

Focuses on sending money as a payment or gift.

FAQs

How can I use "consign" in a sentence?

You can use "consign" to mean to send something to a person or place to be sold. For example, "She decided to "consign" her artwork to the gallery for the exhibition."

What does it mean to "consign" something?

To "consign" something means to hand it over to someone to be sold, kept safe, or sent somewhere. It implies a transfer of responsibility or care.

What are some synonyms for "consign"?

Some synonyms for "consign" include "entrust", "transfer", "delegate", and "assign". The best choice depends on the specific context.

Is there a difference between "consign" and "relegate"?

"Consign" typically involves entrusting something for a specific purpose, whereas "relegate" means to dismiss someone to a lower rank or less important position. Although both verbs mean to "give" or "hand over", the nuance is drastically different.