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Assign vs Authorize - What's the difference?

assign | authorize |

In transitive terms the difference between assign and authorize

is that assign is to attribute or sort something into categories while authorize is to permit (something), to sanction or consent to (something).

As a noun assign

is an assignee.

assign

English

Verb

(en verb)
  • (lb) To designate or set apart something for some purpose.
  • :
  • (lb) To appoint or select someone for some office.
  • :
  • (lb) To allot or give something as a task.
  • *(Robert Southey) (1774-1843)
  • *:The man who could feel thus was worthy of a better station than that in which his lot had been assigned .
  • * (1796-1859)
  • *:He assigned to his men their several posts.
  • *
  • *:Captain Edward Carlisle; 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.
  • (lb) To attribute or sort something into categories.
  • To transfer property, a legal right, etc., from one person to another.
  • To give (a value) to a variable.
  • :
  • Derived terms

    * assignment * assignable * assignation

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • An assignee.
  • (obsolete) A thing relating or belonging to something else; an appurtenance.
  • * Shakespeare
  • Six French rapiers and poniards, with their assigns , as girdles, hangers, and so.
    English transitive verbs

    authorize

    English

    Alternative forms

    * authorise (British) * authourise (rare) * authourize (rare)

    Verb

    (authoriz)
  • To grant (someone) the permission or power necessary to do (something).
  • The General Assembly authorized the Council to take up the matter.
  • To permit (something), to sanction or consent to (something).
  • The judge authorized the wiretapping.

    Derived terms

    * deauthorize, deauthorise * authorization, authorisation * unauthorized, unauthorised