consign

Consign is a verb with several related meanings. It can mean to entrust something to another person for care or custody; to assign something to a specific use, purpose, place, or category; or, in older or formal usage, to condemn or banish someone to a fate. In commerce, consigning commonly refers to sending goods to a retailer or agent for sale or storage, without transferring ownership until a sale occurs.

In a consignor–consignee arrangement, the consignor is the owner who supplies goods, and the consignee is the recipient who displays or sells them. The consignee typically earns a commission on items that sell, and unsold goods can often be returned or re-contracted under the agreement. This model differs from a straight sale, in which ownership transfers at the time of delivery.

In shipping and logistics, consigning involves documents such as a bill of lading or a consignment note that identify the consignor, the consignee, and the goods, along with the terms of transfer and responsibility for loss or damage. The fields of law and commerce use these terms to define title, risk, and remedies in the movement and sale of merchandise.

Beyond commercial use, consign appears in broader phrases such as consign to oblivion, meaning to banish or forget, illustrating its sense of assigning a fate or disposition to someone or something.

The key terms associated with consign include consignor (the owner who sends or ships goods), consignee (the recipient who may sell or store them), and consignment (the goods and agreement under which they are held).