Assignation
noun /ˌæs.ɪɡˈneɪ.ʃən/ — A secret meeting arranged between lovers.
Definition
A secret appointment or meeting — particularly one arranged between lovers outside of acknowledged social arrangements. An assignation is more formal than a tryst: it has been arranged, anticipated, and anticipated again. The planning is part of the intimacy.
Beyond the definition
An assignation is desire organized into calendar — the future meeting that you carry in your chest between now and then, its anticipation as real as its eventual arrival.
Origin & history
From Old French 'assignation' (the act of assigning); from Medieval Latin 'assignatio'. The specific meaning of a secret meeting between lovers developed in English in the 17th–18th centuries.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
The assignation had been planned for weeks — the choice of place, the time, all the unnecessary detail that anticipation requires.
She had arrived early to the assignation, unable to admit to herself how much she was looking forward to it.
Historical fiction lives by the assignation: the letter slipped under the door, the back garden at midnight.
How to use it
This entry uses a noun. Follow the examples for articles and singular or plural forms; not every noun takes “a” or “an.”
Choose “Assignation” when the meaning fits your context: A secret appointment or meeting — particularly one arranged between lovers outside of acknowledged social arrangements. An assignation is more formal than a tryst: it has been arranged, anticipated, and anticipated again. The planning is part of the intimacy.
Synonyms
rendezvous, tryst, secret appointment
Antonyms
chance meeting, open encounter
Related words
Assignation vs tryst
Assignation sounds formal and discreet, often implying an official or clandestine arrangement. Tryst is more romantic and intimate, emphasizing the emotional connection between the participants.
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Word in the Wild
See how this word appears in life, language and stories.
Illustrative sentences and imagined stories for learning — not verified sightings, interviews, or sourced quotations.
Fictional scene
Planned Secret Meeting
An adult waits in the shadowed corner of a moonlit garden for someone to arrive.
The formal, planned nature of the meeting waiting in the shadows constitutes an assignation. The anticipation and careful arrangement define the intimacy, as the planning itself becomes part of the charged experience.
Image credit: Wordspun · AI-generated conceptual illustration
Questions about this word
What does "Assignation" mean?
Assignation is noun meaning: A secret meeting arranged between lovers.. A secret appointment or meeting — particularly one arranged between lovers outside of acknowledged social arrangements. An assignation is more formal than a tryst: it has been arranged, anticipated, and anticipated again. The planning is part of the intimacy.
Where does the word "Assignation" come from?
From Old French 'assignation' (the act of assigning); from Medieval Latin 'assignatio'. The specific meaning of a secret meeting between lovers developed in English in the 17th–18th centuries.