assignation means an appointment for a meeting, generally of a romantic or sexual nature. Lexicurio rates it Rare gem — a strength score of 81 out of 100.
assignation is pronounced /æsɪɡˈneɪʃən/.
Why “assignation” is a great word
A pre-arranged meeting, especially one conducted in secret for a romantic liaison, or the formal act of allotting something. From Middle English assignacioun, from Old French assignacion, from Latin assignatio, assignationis (the act of assigning), from assignare (to mark out, allot). The specific sense of 'a meeting by arrangement, tryst' is attested from the 1650s. Unlike a neutral "appointment" or a dutiful "assignment," an assignation is clandestine by nature. It is the spare key left beneath the stone, the glance held a beat too long in a crowded room, the hotel room door closing on the well-lit corridor—a small, private treaty against the claims of the public day, a stolen order carved from the flow of ordinary hours.
Etymology
From Middle English assignacioun, from Old French assignacion, from Latin assīgnātiō.
noun
- An appointment for a meeting, generally of a romantic or sexual nature.“While nymphs take treats, or assignations give.”
- The act of assigning or allotting; apportionment.“This order being taken in the senate, as touching the appointment and assignation of those provinces.”
- A making over by transfer of title; assignment.