task

1 of 2

noun

plural tasks
1
a
: a usually assigned piece of work often to be finished within a certain time
b
: something hard or unpleasant that has to be done
c
2
: subjection to adverse criticism : reprimand
… the state government was called to task for not doing more to help the area around the casinos.Stephanie Powers
In the NFL, coaches often aren't brought to task for their worst decisions even after games.Rodger Sherman
see also take to task

task

2 of 2

verb

tasked; tasking; tasks

transitive verb

1
: to assign a task to
employees tasked with updating the files
2
: to oppress with great labor
tasks his mind with petty details
3
obsolete : to impose a tax on
Choose the Right Synonym for task

task, duty, job, chore, stint, assignment mean a piece of work to be done.

task implies work imposed by a person in authority or an employer or by circumstance.

charged with a variety of tasks

duty implies an obligation to perform or responsibility for performance.

the duties of a lifeguard

job applies to a piece of work voluntarily performed; it may sometimes suggest difficulty or importance.

the job of turning the company around

chore implies a minor routine activity necessary for maintaining a household or farm.

every child was assigned chores

stint implies a carefully allotted or measured quantity of assigned work or service.

a 2-month stint as a reporter

assignment implies a definite limited task assigned by one in authority.

a reporter's assignment

Examples of task in a Sentence

Noun Our first task is to review the budget. one of my tasks in the morning is to make lunches for everyone in the family Verb I have been tasked by the host with bringing the pies for Thanksgiving this year.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Create a calendar that ensures that your more formidable roles and tasks coincide with less taxing duties or less pressing engagements while also ensuring tasks are realistically within your daily, weekly or monthly capacity. Rolling Stone Culture Council, Rolling Stone, 21 Mar. 2024 Fed officials are facing the difficult task of balancing the risk of cutting too soon with the risk of cutting too late — both of which come with consequences. Krystal Hur, CNN, 21 Mar. 2024 As the labor force shrinks, both China’s government and private sector will face the hard task of creating a flourishing aging society. Fang Ruan, Fortune Asia, 20 Mar. 2024 Sims is a life simulation computer game where players play as an avatar that has changeable personality traits, skills, and relationships, and goes through the mundane tasks of daily life like making dinner and decorating a home. Mia Galuppo, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 Mar. 2024 Tools that automate manual tasks and improve efficiency are notably high growth areas, with adoption rates jumping to a respective 58% and 56%, up from 40% and 39% previously. Robert Stevens, Fortune, 19 Mar. 2024 Electronic aids like trailer backup assist and adaptive cruise control make both everyday driving and occasional tasks easy. Mark Phelan, Detroit Free Press, 19 Mar. 2024 Many teams of researchers have tried and failed in the task. Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 Mar. 2024 When it’s not engaged in any specific task, the brain enters into what’s known as the default network mode, or a period of passive rest, which is responsible for unconscious processing. Georgia Day, Glamour, 8 Mar. 2024
Verb
Izard was tasked with making something good out of whatever was in Kish's kitchen ... Hannah Kirby, Journal Sentinel, 21 Mar. 2024 Localities will be tasked with enforcing the law and subject to state scrutiny. Justine McDaniel, Washington Post, 21 Mar. 2024 Civil engineers, mechanical engineers, nuclear engineers, and others are tasked to build infrastructure that humankind relies on, and they are expected to solve problems. Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 19 Mar. 2024 Her future fraught with whispers of her father’s political connection to Argentina’s brutal dictatorship, she’s tasked with circumventing harsh truths to remain faithful to her destiny in the narrative that follows her through her formative years. Holly Jones, Variety, 19 Mar. 2024 Northrop Grumman is tasked with establishing what resources and interfaces are required to build a lunar railroad, determine the cost of such a project, and name any risks of the undertaking. William Gavin, Quartz, 19 Mar. 2024 When the war was over, the American Graves Registration Service, tasked with recovering and identifying casualties in the Pacific theater, disinterred remains from the two cemeteries. Giuseppe Ricapito, The Mercury News, 18 Mar. 2024 The commission has tasked itself with examining police pursuit practices and their resulting outcomes in the wake of the deadly collision. Lyndsay Winkley, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Mar. 2024 The crisis recently prompted security officials in Michoacán to form a specialized unit tasked with disposing of bombs. Keegan Hamilton, Los Angeles Times, 9 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'task.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English taske, from Middle French dialect (Picardy, Flanders) tasque, from Medieval Latin tasca tax or service imposed by a feudal superior, alteration of *taxa, from taxare to tax

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of task was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near task

Cite this Entry

“Task.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/task. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

task

noun
ˈtask
: a piece of assigned work

Medical Definition

task

noun
: the performance that is required of the subject in a psychological experiment or test and that is usually communicated to a human subject by verbal instructions

More from Merriam-Webster on task

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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