different between elect vs assign

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin ?l?ctus, past participle of ?lig? (“to pick out, choose, elect”), from ?- (“out”) + leg? (“to pick out, pick, gather, collect, etc.”); see legend.

Cognate to eclectic, which is via Ancient Greek rather than Latin, hence prefix ?? (ek), rather than e- (from ex).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /??l?kt/, /i??l?kt/
• Hyphenation: elect
• Rhymes: -?kt

Noun

elect (plural elects or elect)

1. One chosen or set apart.
2. (theology) In Calvinist theology, one foreordained to Heaven. In other Christian theologies, someone chosen by God for salvation.

   • Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth.

   • Shall not God avenge his won elect?

Antonyms

• reprobate

Derived terms

• president-elect

Translations

Verb

elect (third-person singular simple present elects, present participle electing, simple past and past participle elected)

1. (transitive) To choose or make a decision (to do something)
2. (transitive) To choose (a candidate) in an election

Related terms

Translations

Adjective

elect (not comparable)

1. (postpositive) Who has been elected in a specified post, but has not yet entered office.

   He is the President elect.
2. Chosen; taken by preference from among two or more.
   • the elect angels

Translations

Further reading

• elect in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• elect in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.

English

Etymology

From Middle English assignen, from Old French assigner, asigner, from Latin assign?, from ad- + sign? (“mark, sign”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /??sa?n/
• Hyphenation: as?sign
• Rhymes: -a?n

Verb

assign (third-person singular simple present assigns, present participle assigning, simple past and past participle assigned)

1. (transitive) To designate or set apart something for some purpose.

2. (transitive) To appoint or select someone for some office.

3. (transitive) To allot or give something as a task.
   • Captain Edward Carlisle […] felt a curious sensation of helplessness seize upon him as he met her steady gaze, […]; he could not tell what this prisoner might do. He cursed the fate which had assigned such a duty, cursed especially that fate which forced a gallant soldier to meet so superb a woman as this under handicap so hard.

4. (transitive) To attribute or sort something into categories.
5. (transitive, law) To transfer property, a legal right, etc., from one person to another.
6. (transitive, programming) To give (a value) to a variable.

Synonyms

• (set apart something for some purpose): allocate, earmark; see also Thesaurus:set apart
• (transfer property): consign, convey; see also Thesaurus:transfer

Derived terms

• assignment
• assignable
• assignation

Translations

Noun

assign (plural assigns)

1. An assignee.
2. (obsolete) A thing relating or belonging to something else; an appurtenance.
3. (obsolete) An assignment or appointment.
4. (obsolete) A design or purpose.