The Opposite(Antonym) of “assigns”
The antonyms of assigns are withhold, keep, and retain. The antonyms withhold, keep, and retain convey the opposite meaning of assigning or giving something to someone. It implies holding back, keeping, or not giving something.
Definitions and Examples of withhold, keep, retain
Learn when and how to use these words with these examples!
Refuse to give or grant something that is due or desired.
Example
The company decided to withhold bonuses this year due to financial constraints.
Have or retain possession of something.
Example
He decided to keep the book instead of returning it to the library.
Continue to have something; keep possession of.
Example
The company decided to retain only the top-performing employees.
Key Differences: withhold vs keep vs retain
- 1Withhold implies a deliberate refusal to give or grant something that is due or desired.
- 2Keep implies having or retaining possession of something.
- 3Retain implies continuing to have or keep possession of something.
Effective Usage of withhold, keep, retain
- 1Business Communication: Use withhold and retain in business communication to convey decisions related to finance, employment, or services.
- 2Legal Context: Use withhold in legal contexts to refer to withholding evidence or information.
- 3Everyday Conversation: Use keep to refer to possession of objects or items in everyday conversation.
Remember this!
The antonyms of assigns have distinct nuances: withhold implies a deliberate refusal, keep implies possession, and retain implies continuing to have or keep possession. Use these words in business communication, legal contexts, and everyday conversation to convey decisions related to finance, employment, or services, refer to withholding evidence or information, and refer to possession of objects or items.
