consign

American  

[kuhn-sahyn] / kənˈsaɪn /

verb (used with object)

• consigns,
  present (3rd person singular)
• consigned,
  past participle,  past
• consigning
  present participle

1. to hand over or deliver formally or officially; commit (often followed byto ).

   Synonyms:

   assign, relegate

2. to transfer to another's custody or charge; entrust.

   Synonyms:

   confide

3. to set apart for or devote to (a special purpose or use).

   to consign two afternoons a week to the club.

4. to banish or set apart in one's mind; relegate.

   to consign unpleasant thoughts to oblivion.

5. Commerce.

   1. to ship, as by common carrier, especially for sale or custody.

   2. to address for such shipment.

6. Obsolete. to confirm or ratify, as with a seal or other token.

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verb (used without object)

• consigns,
  present (3rd person singular)
• consigned,
  past participle,  past
• consigning
  present participle

1. to agree or assent.

2. Obsolete. to yield or submit.

consign British  

/ kənˈsaɪn /

verb

1. to hand over or give into the care or charge of another; entrust

2. to commit irrevocably

   he consigned the papers to the flames

3. to commit for admittance

   to consign someone to jail

4. to address or deliver (goods) for sale, disposal, etc

   it was consigned to his London address

5. obsolete (intr) to assent; agree

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• consignation
  noun
• preconsign
  verb (used with object)
• reconsign
  verb (used with object)
• consignable
  adjective
• unconsignable
  adjective
• unconsigned
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• consigning
  present
• consigned
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• consign
  simple
• consigns
  simple
• have consigned
  perfect
• has consigned
  perfect
• am consigning
  progressive
• are consigning
  progressive
• is consigning
  progressive
• have been consigning
  perfect progressive
• has been consigning
  perfect progressive

Past

• consigned
  simple
• had consigned
  perfect
• was consigning
  progressive
• were consigning
  progressive
• had been consigning
  perfect progressive

Future

• will consign
  simple
• will have consigned
  perfect
• will be consigning
  progressive
• will have been consigning
  perfect progressive

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Etymology

Origin of consign

1400–50; late Middle English; apparently (< Middle French consigner ) < Medieval Latin consignāre to mark with sign of cross, Latin: to mark with a seal. See con-, sign

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Explanation

The verb consign means to transfer permanently to another. You can consign ownership of your old car to your son, an act that will probably make you the "best parent ever" in his eyes. Consign means to commit or relegate. Those platform shoes you still have from high school in the 1970s? You should probably consign them to the trash — of course, they probably should have been consigned in the 1970s! Consign can also be used if you turn over an object for sale where the business making the sale gets a percentage of the profits and so do you. If you don't like the art work you inherited, you might consign it with an auction house and use the profits to buy something you like better.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

consign consigns consigned consigning

Defeat on Sunday would consign them to third place and no path to the riches of Europe's elite club competition.

From BBC ● May 9, 2026

George’s cluckingly affectionate aunt wants to enfold Hedda in a tradition that would consign her to the role of wife and mother.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 25, 2026

Never mind the state’s environmental laws that consign building projects to purgatory.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 8, 2026

This isn’t to consign Richman to pop’s deep bin of one-hit wonders.

From New York Times ● Dec. 6, 2024

What made it possible to consign alchemy to the dustbin of history was a new understanding of what chemists were trying to do.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

This consigns him to history with ignominy but no fanfare.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 11, 2026

It consigns out-of-form Fakhar Zaman to the bench at least in the short term, while also adding strength to the batting lineup that is so dependent on captain Babar Azam and Mohammed Rizwan.

From Washington Times ● Oct. 13, 2023

"We will not give up... the alternative consigns us to a watery grave," Bahamas Prime Minister Philip Davis said.

From BBC ● Nov. 20, 2022

“Gucci” has won some ardent fans swooning over Lady Gaga’s scenery-chewing, roaring, Haaaaaa-ahhhh-ahhh-ohhhh-ahhaaaaaa-ahhhh-ahhh-ohhhh-ah!!! turn as the story’s aggrieved Lady Macbeth stand-in, which I can appreciate up till the movie consigns her to the background.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 23, 2021

And Cora is hurried into a cab, closely followed by old Verage, who chatters his doubtful consolation, and laughs his eldritch laughter, and finally consigns her to prison to answer to a charge of swindling.

From Madeline Payne, the Detective's Daughter by Lawrence L. Lynch

That result also consigned England to two rounds of play-offs to reach next summer's World Cup.

From BBC ● Oct. 19, 2026

Back then, the largest vehicles were consigned to the “hard to electrify” bucket.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026

They got it thanks to a 0-0 result of composure and organisation that consigned Italy to the play-offs and took England back to the World Cup having missed USA '94.

From BBC ● Jul. 6, 2026

“Yet here is this singular brilliance, consigned to a small span of years. He places the two side by side in the scales.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 8, 2026

Stannis Baratheon stood grim-faced by the funeral pyre as the lad’s body was consigned to the flames.

From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin

He knew the future life he dreamed of was now impossible, and it seems he couldn’t face the to which the U.S. government was consigning him.

From Salon ● Sep. 3, 2026

After he posted a photo of the jacket online, Brown was contacted by Sotheby’s about consigning it for auction.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026

Mr. Booker, then Newark’s mayor, responded with a viral tweet “banning” Mr. O’Brien from Newark airport and consigning him to JFK instead.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 6, 2026

The landscape is particularly difficult for first-time buyers, consigning many to the used car market, Drury said.

From Barron's ● Jan. 7, 2026

I believe that justice demands that you reject the testimony of these men, consigning their stories to the area of deep doubt.

From "Monster" by Walter Dean Myers

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Related Words

• assign
• relegate
• turn over

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