consignment
kuhn-SYNE-muhnt
/kənˈsaɪn.mənt/
A batch of goods sent to a recipient or dealer, often under an arrangement where payment is made after sale.
Emphasizes the formal entrustment of goods from a sender (consignor) to a receiver (consignee).
The story behind the word. Originally meaning to mark with a official seal or sign document approval, 'consign' evolved in 17th-century trade to denote formally transferring physical custody of commercial goods to a representative.
Word relationships
- batch: Batch refers to items produced together, not necessarily shipped or entrusted to a agent.
- shipment: Shipment emphasizes transport movement, whereas consignment emphasizes legal possession and sale terms.
Commonly confused with
- consignment store: A retail store that sells second-hand items on behalf of owners, derived from the same commercial meaning.
Word family
- consign (verb): To hand over or deliver formally to another's care.
- consignee (noun): The named person or party to whom goods are shipped.
- consignor (noun): The party who originates and sends the goods.
Collocations
- on consignment
- consignment note
- receive a consignment
- consignee
Example sentences
- "The distributor agreed to accept the new product line on consignment, paying only for units sold." Trade contract context
- "Each inbound consignment must be inspected for physical damage before signed acceptance." Warehouse entry log
Memory hook
CON-SIGN-ment: You CONfirm by SIGNing a document when goods arrive. Sign upon receiving the batch.
When not to use
Do not use for general bulk commodities that are already fully paid for upon departure.
Fun facts
- In fine art sales, major galleries routinely take multi-million dollar masterpieces on consignment from private collectors.
Explore more words
distribution, warehousing, inventory, broker, transaction, Escrow
Take your vocabulary further with LangBlitz
Our English vocabulary app: FSRS spaced repetition, 5,000+ curated words across 119 topic groups, CEFR A1 to C2. Explore your mastery with the beautiful Vocabulary World feature.