What does consignation mean?
Consignation is a rare noun denoting the act of consigning — formally delivering goods, money, documents, or even a person into the custody or control of someone else. It derives from Latin roots meaning 'to seal' or 'to entrust', reflecting the word's historical association with formal, binding acts of transfer. In older legal usage, consignation could also describe the deposit of money or valuables as a pledge securing an obligation, a sense related to the modern legal concept of consigning disputed funds to a court or third party. Today the word survives chiefly in legal, historical, and commercial texts, where it lends a deliberately formal tone. In everyday English it has been almost entirely supplanted by its close cousin "consignment", which names both the act of sending and the goods themselves. Writers who reach for consignation are usually signalling precision or echoing the language of contracts and ledgers rather than pursuing common usage.
The act of consigning something or someone into another's custody or possession.
"The consignation of the cargo to the shipping agent took place at the docks."
Chiefly legal and commercial; largely replaced by "consignment" in modern use.
(Legal, historical) The deposit of money or goods as a pledge or security for an obligation.
"Payment was secured by the consignation of a sum with a trusted third party."
Plural is rare, appearing only when referring to multiple distinct acts of consigning.
"The ledger recorded all consignations made during the trading season."
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of consignation
Consignation comes from the Latin verb consignare, meaning 'to mark with a seal' or 'to commit in writing', formed from con- ('together') plus signare ('to seal, mark'). The word passed into English via Old French and medieval legal usage, appearing in English from at least the early modern period in legal and commercial registers. It shares this root with consign, consignment, assign, design, and signal, all descendants of the same signare family.
How consignation is actually used
A rare and largely archaic word found mainly in legal and historical contexts. In modern English, "consignment" or simply "consigning" has almost entirely displaced it.
Easily confused with consignation
A consignment is the batch of goods itself that is sent, whereas consignation refers to the act of handing them over.