consign

verb

con·​sign kən-ˈsīn 

consigned; consigning; consigns

transitive verb

1

: to give over to another's care

… consign her single daughters to the care of their sister …

—Jane Austen

2

: to give, transfer, or deliver into the hands or control of another

also : to commit especially to a final destination or fate

a writer consigned to oblivion

consign a body to the grave

3

: to send or address to an agent to be cared for or sold

consigned the paintings for sale

intransitive verb

obsolete : agree, submit

consignable

kən-ˈsī-nə-bəl 

adjective

consignation

ˌkän-ˌsī-ˈnā-shən 

ˌkän(t)-sig-

noun

consignor

ˌkän-ˌsī-ˈnȯr 

kən-

noun

Synonyms

• dispatch
• pack (off)
• send
• ship
• shoot
• transfer
• transmit
• transport

Choose the Right Synonym for consign

commit, entrust, confide, consign, relegate mean to assign to a person or place for a definite purpose.

commit may express the general idea of delivering into another's charge or the special sense of transferring to a superior power or to a special place of custody.

committed the felon to prison

entrust implies committing with trust and confidence.

the president is entrusted with broad powers

confide implies entrusting with great assurance or reliance.

confided complete control of my affairs to my attorney

consign suggests removing from one's control with formality or finality.

consigned the damaging notes to the fire

relegate implies a consigning to a particular class or sphere often with a suggestion of getting rid of.

relegated to an obscure position in the company

Examples of consign in a Sentence

She consigned the painting to an auction house.

The goods were consigned to him.

Recent Examples on the Web

The watercolor paintings Boy and Girl at a Well (1879) and Boy and Girl on a Swing (1879) were consigned to the auction house and sold after being appraised on the popular PBS program. —Karen K. Ho, ARTnews.com, 24 Jan. 2025

The following year, Bjorn Borg beat Gerulaitis at Wimbledon to take their head-to-head record to 17-0 and consign the quote to folklore rather than truth. —Charlie Eccleshare, The Athletic, 22 Jan. 2025

The best sports watches have heart rate reader tech good enough to make most of us consign chest straps to the back of a cupboard. —Andrew Williams, Forbes, 6 Jan. 2025

The Brits may showcase the various roles women played in the war — Bletchley decoders, WRNS, WAAFs and, of course, spies — but American screenwriters have mostly consigned the 150,000 women who served in to a bit of backstory, a romantic diversion or a joke. —Mary McNamara, Los Angeles Times, 19 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle French consigner, from Latin consignare, from com- + signum sign, mark, seal — more at sign

First Known Use

1528, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Kids Definition

consign

verb

con·​sign kən-ˈsīn 

1

: to give over to another's care : entrust

2

: to give, transfer, or deliver to another

3

: to send or address (as goods) to an agent to be cared for or sold

Legal Definition

consign

transitive verb

con·​sign kən-ˈsīn 

: to entrust (one's goods) to the possession of a dealer to be sold for profit or returned if unsold compare bail, entrust

consignment noun

consignor

kən-ˈsī-nər, ˌkän-ˌsī-ˈnȯr 

noun