assigns

Assigns is the third-person singular present tense of the verb assign. It denotes the act of designating or transferring something to someone else, such as duties, rights, property, or resources. In everyday usage, a supervisor assigns tasks to subordinates; in business and law, rights or claims may be assigned to another party.

In legal contexts, an assignment is the transfer of rights or interests from one party to another. The person who transfers rights is called the assignor, and the recipient is the assignee. The term "assigns" is used to refer to the person or persons who gain those rights, often in phrases that include successors and assigns to cover future holders. Assignments can involve tangible property, contractual claims, royalties, or intellectual property.

In computing and information systems, assignment refers to the operation of binding a value to a variable; programming languages may use the operator '=' or other syntax. While "assigns" appears in natural prose describing this action, the technical concept is typically called assignment rather than the plural noun "assigns."

Originating from Latin assignare meaning to mark or designate, the word has cognates in several Romance languages. Related terms include assignor and assignee.