consignment

American  

[kuhn-sahyn-muhnt] / kənˈsaɪn mənt /

noun

1. the act of consigning.

2. something that is consigned.

3. Commerce. property sent to an agent for sale, storage, or shipment.

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adjective

1. of, relating to, or shipped as goods on consignment.

   consignment selling of gift items.

idioms

1. on consignment, (of goods) sent to an agent for sale, with title being held by the consignor until a sale is made.

consignment British  

/ kənˈsaɪnmənt /

noun

1. the act of consigning; commitment

2. a shipment of goods consigned

3. for payment by the consignee after sale

   he made the last shipment on consignment

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Other Word Forms

• nonconsignment noun

Etymology

Origin of consignment

First recorded in 1555–65; consign + -ment

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.

Example Sentences

The reports of shortages have been overshadowed by controversy over an allegedly substandard consignment imported last month outside government-to-government arrangements and at a significantly higher cost.

From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026

Alouette’s attempts to reclaim her work result in her consignment to Salpetrière, a much-dreaded place for the mentally afflicted, where the cruel guards may or may not be saner than the inmates.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 4, 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

France's energy ministry and EDF did not respond to AFP's questions on the consignment or trade.

From Barron's • Nov. 16, 2025

In my mind’s eye, Aunt Gloria turned into a motorist with driving goggles and a huge consignment of bananas in the back seat.

From "The London Eye Mystery" by Siobhan Dowd

Related Words

• batch
• delivery
• goods
• shipment