task

American  

[task, tahsk] / tæsk, tɑsk /

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.

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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.

idioms

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

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

task British  

/ 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

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verb

1. to assign a task to

2. to subject to severe strain; tax

task More Idioms  

1. see take to task.

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Related Words

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.

Other Word Forms

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

Etymology

Origin of task

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

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.

From 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."

From 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".

From Barron's

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

From 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.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

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