consignment
Americannoun
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the act of consigning.
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something that is consigned.
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Commerce. property sent to an agent for sale, storage, or shipment.
adjective
idioms
noun
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the act of consigning; commitment
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a shipment of goods consigned
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for payment by the consignee after sale
he made the last shipment on consignment
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of consignment
Explanation
Consignment means the delivery of things, like clothing or furniture, for sale or donation to someone else. A "consignment shop" is a clothing store that sells other people's clothing and goods. Consignment is a commercial term that refers to a giving over of objects. If your goods are on consignment, you still technically own them while they are on sale at the consignment shop. The word sometimes refers literally to goods being delivered or shipped, such as food or cargo. Consignment can also mean entrusting a person into the care of someone else, as when you put your aging grandparents in an old-aged home.
Vocabulary lists containing consignment
The Secret Life of Bees
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Siddhartha
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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.
Unlike the previous shipments, which were carried by the Mexican navy, Monday's aid consignment was transported by a merchant ship, sailing under a Panamanian flag, AFP journalists observed.
From Barron's • May 18, 2026
The government has previously said it cancelled the consignment amid concerns over its quality and cost and barred oil marketers from selling it.
From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026
Some influencers go to Dresscue, an Atwater Village consignment store, because they can rent empty racks to sell their clothes, Craig said, though the store was not specifically designed for them.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 21, 2026
Aptly named, the Gold Mine, a second-hand consignment store that funds the community library, might turn up a YSL coat or a Moncler sweater for peanuts.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 3, 2025
Part of Zach’s job was going around to deliver fresh supplies of honey and candles to places that sold them on consignment.
From "The Secret Life of Bees" by Sue Monk Kidd
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.
