assort
Americanverb (used with object)
-
assorts,
present (3rd person singular)
-
assorted,
past participle, past
-
assorting
present participle
-
to distribute, place, or arrange according to kind or class; classify; sort.
-
to furnish with a suitable assortment or variety of goods; make up of articles likely to suit a demand.
-
Archaic. to group with others of the same or similar kind; connect or identify as of a similar class; associate (usually followed bywith ).
verb (used without object)
-
assorts,
present (3rd person singular)
-
assorted,
past participle, past
-
assorting
present participle
-
to agree in sort or kind; be matched or suited.
-
to associate; consort.
verb
-
(tr) to arrange or distribute into groups of the same type; classify
-
to fit or fall into a class or group; match
-
(tr) to supply with an assortment of merchandise
-
(tr) to put in the same category as others; group
-
rare to keep company; consort
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
assortsimple
-
assortssimple
-
have assortedperfect
-
has assortedperfect
-
am assortingprogressive
-
are assortingprogressive
-
is assortingprogressive
-
have been assortingperfect progressive
-
has been assortingperfect progressive
Past
-
assortedsimple
-
had assortedperfect
-
was assortingprogressive
-
were assortingprogressive
-
had been assortingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of assort
From the Middle French word assorter, dating back to 1480–90. See as-, sort
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Genes that are located far apart on the same chromosome are likely to assort independently.
From Textbooks ● Jun. 9, 2022
The law states that alleles of different genes assort independently of one another during gamete formation.
From Textbooks ● Jun. 9, 2022
This data helps retailers better understand their customers, leading to improvements in how they assort and design stores.Participation.
From Forbes ● Apr. 8, 2014
Many species, including primates and wolves, assort themselves by means of a dominance hierarchy.
From Scientific American ● Dec. 19, 2011
Birds o' a feather gree best thegither; and the kite and the doo winna assort ava.
From Wilson's Tales of the Borders and of Scotland Volume 14 by Various
The values along each forked pathway can be multiplied because each gene assorts independently.
From Textbooks ● Jun. 9, 2022
She assorts and arranges her goods by the law of the winds and the tides.
From Time and Change by John Burroughs
This introduction of white smooth stone, assorts ill with the dull reddish-brown mass all around it, and produces a glaring and disagreeable effect.
From Architectural Antiquities of Normandy by John Sell Cotman
To be a "politic," clever fellow, a vast deal more humoring of prejudices, errors, and follies, is requisite, than at all assorts with true honesty of character.
From The International Monthly, Volume 5, No. 4, April, 1852 by Various
Next day he assorts the packages of a group in a till similar to those already described, except that it is laid flat upon a low counter.
From The Galaxy, May, 1877 Vol. XXIII.—May, 1877.—No. 5. by Various
Clover’s long, tasseled ears collect leaves, grass, and assorted debris on walks, and she scratches them out semiregularly.
From Slate ● Jun. 20, 2026
Meanwhile, assorted other parades and caravans are traveling Route 66 in other states this year; most of them concentrate on short segments.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 6, 2026
Swansea Crown Court heard the lamb products of Kismet Kebabs Ltd, based in Essex, contained little actual lamb, but a mix of fat, skin, assorted meats and mechanically reclaimed meat products.
From BBC ● Jun. 6, 2026
The delivered price of aluminum in the U.S., with assorted charges and the tariff factored in, is $6,100 a metric ton, up 83% from a year ago.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 2, 2026
Warrant Officer Swart baked bread, made home-brewed ginger beer and assorted other delicacies.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
Note that we are assuming the interacting genes are not linked; they are still assorting independently into gametes.
From Textbooks ● Jun. 9, 2022
Mr Baker seems to be randomly assorting clips for a montage, and the characters feel so real and idiosyncratic that it’s riveting even without a clear sense of plot or direction.
From Economist ● Sep. 13, 2017
The same is true of Comic-Con’s purpose for the publishers, studios and assorting celebrities and creators who are involved.
From Time ● Sep. 5, 2012
Even without the new additions, Yale custodians had years of editing and assorting ahead of them.
From Time Magazine Archive
Crushing:—Among the most useful inventions relating to stone working are machines for crushing stones and ores, and assorting them.
From Inventions in the Century by William Henry Doolittle
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
