Synonym Chooser

How is the word consign distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of consign are commit, confide, entrust, and relegate. While all these words mean "to assign to a person or place for a definite purpose," consign suggests removing from one's control with formality or finality.

consigned the damaging notes to the fire

When is it sensible to use commit instead of consign?

While the synonyms commit and consign are close in meaning, 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

When could confide be used to replace consign?

While in some cases nearly identical to consign, confide implies entrusting with great assurance or reliance.

confided complete control of my affairs to my attorney

In what contexts can entrust take the place of consign?

The words entrust and consign are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, entrust implies committing with trust and confidence.

the president is entrusted with broad powers

When would relegate be a good substitute for consign?

The synonyms relegate and consign are sometimes interchangeable, but 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

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of consign While Paratici’s ban does not stop him from working in the football industry, owing to a successful appeal of the extent of the ban two years ago, he has been consigned to work as a consultant and adviser since he was forced to resign from his post at Tottenham Hotspur in April 2023. Jack Pitt-Brooke, New York Times, 3 Apr. 2025 But whether the ancient residents of Troy truly sipped wine out of these goblets has long been consigned to the realm of speculation. Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 Apr. 2025 This consigned most former slaves to sharecropping. Made By History, TIME, 25 Mar. 2025 In contrast, the formerly close U.S. ally Canada is consigned to join Ukraine, Denmark, Panama, and the democracies of Europe and East Asia on the Trump enemies list. David Frum, The Atlantic, 28 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for consign
Recent Examples of Synonyms for consign
Verb
  • Multiple federal agencies on April 11 sent a letter to Harvard University accusing the college of violating federal civil rights law for not doing enough to combat antisemitism during student protests of the Israel-Hamas war.
    Kayla Jimenez, USA Today, 23 Apr. 2025
  • Maintain nerve and muscle health: These minerals help your muscles contract and relax, while also helping to send messages from your brain to other areas of your body.
    Kirstyn Hill, PharmD, MPH, Health, 22 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Prosecutors accused Read of striking O’Keefe with her SUV then leaving him to die in the snow.
    Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 25 Apr. 2025
  • Right now, many people who have built their lives in Singapore are being left in the dark.
    Hannah Ma, Forbes.com, 24 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Now, she's being handed the reins to replace the network's biggest star amid dangerous political territory for Democrats, who lack majorities in both chambers of Congress and have faced an identity crisis since November, when former Vice President Kamala Harris lost to Trump.
    Jay Stahl, USA Today, 24 Apr. 2025
  • Their future is handed to a judge with limited time, minimal context and little understanding of their family, finances or goals.
    David Centeno, Forbes.com, 24 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Revell said the suspect will need a significant amount of time to recover from his injuries after which he'll be transferred to a detention facility.
    Nicholas Creel, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Apr. 2025
  • According to Nature, the findings offer the first evidence for squirrels transferring the virus to primates.
    Lillian Ali, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Despite that, a growing number of companies do so voluntarily because the information gives them a leg up in the business world.
    Elizabeth Weise, USA Today, 22 Apr. 2025
  • The small loveseat can hold two people and has a unique rounded design that gives your room a modern, but retro look.
    Christopher Murray, FOXNews.com, 21 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Accompanied by two female backup singers wearing cowboy hats, a trumpet player and Grupo Frontera’s signature ensemble of accordion, keyboards and guitars, the band delivered a dynamic and cohesive performance.
    Isabela Raygoza, Billboard, 24 Apr. 2025
  • Comcast delivered first-quarter results slightly better than Wall Street expectations, but its shares fell in pre-market trading Thursday.
    Dade Hayes, Deadline, 24 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Fittingly posted on a Wednesday (April 23), the two-minute preview opens with Jenna Ortega’s Wednesday making her way back to Nevermore Academy, a journey that involves the teenager reluctantly relinquishing her many weapons to TSA agents at an airport.
    Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 23 Apr. 2025
  • But the Trump administration is now relinquishing its influence over the multilateral system, preferring instead to handle countries one by one, transaction by transaction.
    Ngaire Woods, Foreign Affairs, 22 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Francis delegated to two cardinals his role in presiding over Easter masses.
    Phoebe Natanson, ABC News, 17 Apr. 2025
  • If a task can be reduced to rules and data flows, it can be delegated to an agent.
    Kolawole Samuel Adebayo, Forbes.com, 15 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Consign.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/consign. Accessed 29 Apr. 2025.

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