secondment

USAGE SUMMARY

"secondment" is a correct and usable word in written English.
It is a noun, typically used to refer to the process of temporarily assigning an employee to work for another company or organization. Example sentence: She was offered a secondment at a tech start-up in California.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

British Gas owner Centrica currently has an executive working within Decc on secondment.

The Guardian

During his national service he was commissioned into the local regiment, the Sherwood Foresters, but chose secondment to the Royal West African Frontier Force in what is now the Gambia.

The Guardian

Snowden, who spent a decade working with various defence contractors on secondment to the CIA and the NSA as a communications specialist, reiterated that he had delayed going public because of his hope that Barack Obama's election would mark a sea change but he had ended up disillusioned.

The Guardian

He is already a judge of the high court, on secondment, and would certainly sit in the court of appeal if he chose to return to London.

The Guardian

This requires removing the influence of corporations entirely through reforms in the areas of party funding and lobbying, closing the revolving door between government and corporations, ending the culture of corporate secondment, introducing proportional representation, democratising the City of London Corporation and the removal of the Remembrancer.

The Guardian - Business

It detailed how one official sent on secondment to head the Bookend research team planned to mislead his staff about its remit.

The Guardian - Business

Andersen's London office has now confirmed that such shredding took place, but say that this was done by three people on secondment from the Houston office.

The Economist

Most of the company's 500-odd staff are government workers on secondment.

The Economist

New staff will be hired on the same basis.In these pilot schemes, the private contractors will manage staff on secondment from the NHS, which may or may not be workable.

The Economist

More resources for crime-fighting outfits, including teams on secondment from the private sector, would clear out more crooks.That still leaves the job of dealing with the most sophisticated hackers, whose motives often have nothing to do with money.

The Economist

The federal police force is partly composed of army units and officers on secondment.

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "secondment", clearly specify the duration and purpose of the assignment to avoid ambiguity. For instance, state "a six-month secondment to the marketing department".

Common error

Avoid using the preposition "of" after "secondment" when specifying the destination. Instead of saying "secondment of MI6", use "secondment to MI6" or "secondment at MI6" depending on the context.

Linguistic Context

The noun "secondment" primarily functions as a description of a temporary transfer or assignment of an employee. It refers to the period when an individual is temporarily working in a different role or organization, as demonstrated by Ludwig's examples.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

34%

Formal & Business

33%

Science

33%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The term "secondment" is a noun denoting the temporary transfer of an employee to another role or organization. Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical correctness and common usage, primarily in news, formal business, and scientific contexts. To ensure clarity, specify the duration and purpose of the "secondment", and use "to" rather than "of" when indicating the destination. Alternatives such as ""temporary assignment"" provide similar meanings for varied expression. By following these guidelines, writers can confidently and accurately use "secondment" in their writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

temporary assignment

Focuses on the temporary nature of the job role.

temporary posting

Emphasizes the temporary relocation to a different position.

temporary transfer

Highlights the act of moving someone temporarily.

short-term assignment

Stresses the limited duration of the assignment.

loan assignment

Implies a lending of services or personnel.

detached duty

Focuses on the separation from regular duties.

temporary service

Highlights the provision of service for a limited time.

outplacement

Emphasizes the act of placing someone elsewhere.

temporary relocation

Highlights a change of location for a short period.

temporary detail

Emphasizes the temporary nature of the specific task.

FAQs

How to use "secondment" in a sentence?

You can use "secondment" to describe a temporary assignment of an employee to another part of their company or to another organization entirely. For example, "She completed a "temporary assignment" at the head office last year".

What can I say instead of "secondment"?

You can use alternatives like ""temporary assignment"", "temporary transfer", or "loan assignment" depending on the context.

Which is correct, "secondment to" or "secondment of"?

"Secondment to" is generally the correct usage when indicating the destination or recipient of the assignment. "Secondment of" is less common and may imply possession rather than direction. For instance, use "secondment to the FBI".

What's the purpose of a "secondment"?

The purpose of a "secondment" can vary, but it generally aims to provide employees with new experiences, develop their skills, or fill a temporary need within another department or organization. It also facilitates knowledge transfer and collaboration.