task

[task, tahsk]

noun

1. a definite piece of work assigned to, falling to, or expected of a person; duty.

   Synonyms: assignment, job

2. any piece of work.

   Synonyms: assignment, job

3. a matter of considerable labor or difficulty.

4. Obsolete.,  a tax or impost.

verb (used with object)

1. to subject to severe or excessive labor or exertion; put a strain upon (powers, resources, etc.).

2. to impose a task on.

3. Obsolete.,  to tax.

adjective

1. of or relating to a task or tasks.

   A task chart will help organize the department's work.

task

/ tɑːsk /

noun

1. a specific piece of work required to be done as a duty or chore

2. an unpleasant or difficult job or duty

3. any piece of work

4. to criticize or reprove

verb

1. to assign a task to

2. to subject to severe strain; tax

Other Word Forms

• taskless adjective
• subtask noun
• untasked adjective
• tasker noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of task¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English noun, from Medieval Latin tasca, variant of taxa tax ( def. )

Word History and Origins

Origin of task¹

C13: from Old French tasche, from Medieval Latin tasca, from taxa tax, from Latin taxāre to _tax

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. take to task, to call to account; blame; censure.

   The teacher took them to task for not doing their homework.

see take to task.

Synonym Study

Task, chore, job, assignment refer to a definite and specific instance or act of work. Task and chore and, to a lesser extent, job often imply work that is tiresome, arduous, or otherwise unpleasant. Task usually refers to a clearly defined piece of work, sometimes of short or limited duration, assigned to or expected of a person: the task of pacifying angry customers; a difficult, time-consuming task. A chore is a minor task, usually one of several performed as part of a routine, as in farming, and often more tedious than difficult: the daily chore of taking out the garbage; early morning chores of feeding the livestock. Job is the most general of these terms, referring to almost any work or responsibility, including a person's means of earning a living: the job of washing the windows; a well-paying job in advertising. Assignment refers to a specific task allocated to a person by someone in a position of authority: a homework assignment; a reporter's assignment to cover international news.

Example Sentences

Some users praised its capabilities for quick tasks but said they still rely on bigger AI models like those from Anthropic for more complex work.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

"Therefore, in order to validate quantum computers, methods are needed to compare theory and result without waiting years for a supercomputer to perform the same task."

Read more on Science Daily

In the video, Juan Carlos also urged Spain to support his son Felipe VI, in whose favour he abdicated in 2014, "in this difficult task of uniting all Spaniards".

Read more on Barron's

"The task is made easier for me because I'm following in their footsteps," he said.

Read more on Barron's

Pathway Chief Commercial Officer Victor Szczerba distinguishes between “commodity” AI tasks such as approving a customer discount and more demanding projects such as end-of-quarter financial planning.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• assignment 
• burden 
• business 
• duty 
• effort 
• exercise 
• function 
• project 
• responsibility 
• undertaking 
• work