consignment

consignment — noun

1. a collection of products sent in one delivery to a specific person, shop, or oth

1.nounB2
Definition

a collection of products sent in one delivery to a specific person, shop, or other business location

Example

The bookshop received a large consignment of new novels from the publisher.

collocation: consignment of + goods

A consignment of spare parts arrived at the factory warehouse this morning.

Common collocations
  • consignment of
  • large consignment
  • new consignment
  • consignment note
  • consignment number
Synonyms
  • shipment

    more common in everyday business language; 'consignment' often implies a formal or tracked delivery

  • delivery

    focuses on the act of bringing goods rather than the quantity sent

  • cargo

    used mainly for goods carried by ships, planes, or large vehicles, not small parcels

  • load

    informal; can refer to people or goods, and is less specific about formal shipping arrangements

Grammar Patterns

a consignment of + goods

consignment + noun

Usage Note

A countable noun — you can refer to 'a consignment' or 'consignments'. The pattern 'consignment of + goods' is the most common way to specify what the shipment contains.

Common Mistakes

The consignment of books arrived to the warehouse.
The consignment of books arrived at the warehouse.
Use 'arrive at' for a location, not 'arrive to'.
We sent a consignment furniture to the store.
We sent a consignment of furniture to the store.
When specifying the contents, use 'of' after 'consignment'.

2. a business arrangement in which a supplier sends goods to a seller, and the sell

2.nounB2
Definition

a business arrangement in which a supplier sends goods to a seller, and the seller only pays the supplier for items that are actually bought by customers, returning any unsold goods

Example

The local bookstore took the magazines on consignment and returned the unsold copies.

phrase: took something on consignment

Amani agreed to sell her handmade jewellery on consignment at the gift shop.

Common collocations
  • on consignment
  • take something on consignment
  • consignment agreement
  • consignment deal
Synonyms
  • sale or return

    a similar arrangement used mainly in publishing and retail; more informal than 'on consignment'

Grammar Patterns

on consignment

take/give something on consignment

Usage Note

Only appears in the fixed phrase 'on consignment'. Never use 'in consignment' or 'under consignment'. The goods legally belong to the consignor (the supplier) until a customer buys them.

Common Mistakes

The goods are in consignment at the shop.
The goods are on consignment at the shop.
The correct preposition is 'on', not 'in'.

❌ 'I bought this vase on consignment.' — This is ambiguous. If you bought it as a customer, say 'I bought this vase from a consignment shop.' The phrase 'on consignment' describes the arrangement between supplier and seller, not the customer's purchase.

consignment — adjective

Word family

  • consign
    verbC1
  • consignor
    nounC1
  • consignee
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words describe goods being moved from one place to another, but they differ in scope and context. 'Consignment' is the most specific — it implies a formal, tracked quantity of goods sent together, often in a business or logistics setting (e.g. 'a consignment of medical supplies'). 'Shipment' is the closest synonym and the most common general term; it covers any goods sent by any transport method, from a parcel to a container load. 'Delivery' focuses on the arrival end of the journey and is used for anything from pizza to furniture ('the delivery came at noon'). 'Cargo' is restricted to goods carried by ship, plane, or large truck and is rarely used for small parcels or local van runs. 'Load' is more informal and can refer to people or miscellaneous items ('a load of laundry'). In practice, for a tracked quantity of commercial goods, 'consignment' and 'shipment' are interchangeable, but 'consignment' carries a slightly more formal, paper-traced tone.

shipment ↗delivery ↗cargo ↗load ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • on consignment
  • by consignment
  • under a consignment agreement

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

From Latin 'consignare' meaning 'to seal with a mark' (from 'com-' meaning 'together' and 'signare' meaning 'to mark or sign'). The word entered English through French in the 15th century with the sense 'to hand over formally'. By the 16th century it had developed the commercial meaning of 'goods sent to a person or agent', which remains the core meaning today.