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Definition of task

 (Entry 1 of 2)

Definition of task  (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

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.

duty implies an obligation to perform or responsibility for performance.

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

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

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

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

Example Sentences

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

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

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

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing task

Articles Related to task

can task be a verb

Can 'Task' Be Used as a Verb?

Taking a usage peeve to task

Dictionary Entries Near task

Tasikmalaya

task-and-bonus system

Cite this Entry

“Task.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/task. Accessed 26 May. 2023.

Kids Definition

Kids definition of task, medical definition, medical definition of task, more from merriam-webster on task.

Nglish: Translation of task for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of task for Arabic Speakers

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task: Meaning and Definition of

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Definitions.net

  Vocabulary      

What does task mean?

Definitions for task tæsk, tɑsk task, this dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word task ., princeton's wordnet rate this definition: 5.0 / 2 votes.

undertaking, project, task, labor noun

any piece of work that is undertaken or attempted

"he prepared for great undertakings"

job, task, chore verb

a specific piece of work required to be done as a duty or for a specific fee

"estimates of the city's loss on that job ranged as high as a million dollars"; "the job of repairing the engine took several hours"; "the endless task of classifying the samples"; "the farmer's morning chores"

assign a task to

"I tasked him with looking after the children"

tax, task verb

use to the limit

"you are taxing my patience"

Wiktionary Rate this definition: 3.5 / 2 votes

A piece of work done as part of one's duties.

A difficult or tedious undertaking.

An objective.

A process or execution of a program.

To assign a task to, or impose a task on.

Etymology: From tasque, variant of tasche, from tasca, alteration of taxa, from taxare.

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary Rate this definition: 0.0 / 0 votes

Etymology: tasche, French; tassa, Italian.

Relieves me from my task of servile toil Daily in the common prison else enjoin’d me. John Milton.

His mental powers were equal to greater tasks. Francis Atterbury.

No happier task these faded eyes pursue, To read and weep is all they now can do. Alexander Pope.

A holy man took a soldier to task upon the subject of his profession. Roger L'Estrange.

He discovered some remains of his nature when he met with a foot-ball, for which Sir Roger took him to task. Addis.

To Task verb

To burthen with something to be done.

Etymology: tascu, Welsh, or from the noun.

He depos’d the king, Soon after that depriv’d him of his life, And, in the neck of that, task’d the whole state. William Shakespeare.

Forth he goes, Like to a harvestman, that’s task’d to mow, Or all, or lose his hire. William Shakespeare , Coriolanus.

Some things of weight, That task our thoughts, concerning us and France. William Shakespeare.

I have drunk but one cup to-night, and that was craftily qualified too; and behold what innovation it makes here. I am unfortunate in the infirmity, and dare not task my weakness with any more. William Shakespeare , Othello.

Divert thy thoughts at home, There task thy maids, and exercise the loom. Dryden.

Wikipedia Rate this definition: 0.0 / 0 votes

The two-pore-domain or tandem pore domain potassium channels are a family of 15 members that form what is known as leak channels which possess Goldman-Hodgkin-Katz (open) rectification. These channels are regulated by several mechanisms including signaling lipids, oxygen tension, pH, mechanical stretch, and G-proteins . Their name is derived from the fact that the α subunits consist of four transmembrane segments, and each pair of transmembrane segments contains a pore loop between the two transmembrane segments. Thus, each subunit has two pore loops. As such, they structurally correspond to two inward-rectifier α subunits and thus form dimers in the membrane (whereas inward-rectifier α subunits form tetramers). Each single channel does not have two pores; the name of the channel comes from the fact that each subunit has two P (pore) domains in its primary sequence. To quote Rang and Dale (2015), "The nomenclature is misleading, especially when they are incorrectly referred to as two-pore channels".Below is a list of the 15 known two-pore-domain human potassium channels:

Webster Dictionary Rate this definition: 5.0 / 1 vote

labor or study imposed by another, often in a definite quantity or amount

business; employment; undertaking; labor

to impose a task upon; to assign a definite amount of business, labor, or duty to

to oppress with severe or excessive burdens; to tax

to charge; to tax; as with a fault

Freebase Rate this definition: 2.3 / 6 votes

In project management, a task is an activity that needs to be accomplished within a defined period of time or by a deadline. A task can be broken down into assignments which should also have a defined start and end date or a deadline for completion. One or more assignments on a task puts the task under execution. Completion of all assignments on a specific task normally renders the task completed. Tasks can be linked together to create dependencies. In most projects, tasks may suffer one of two major drawbacks: ⁕Task dependency: Which is normal as most tasks rely on others to get done. However, this can lead to the stagnation of a project when many tasks cannot get started unless others are finished. ⁕Unclear understanding of the term complete: For example, if a task is 90% complete, does this mean that it will take only 1/9 of the time already spent on this task to finish it? Although this is mathematically sound, it is rarely the case when it comes to practice.

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary Rate this definition: 0.0 / 0 votes

task, n. a set amount of work, esp. of study, given by another: work: drudgery.— v.t. to impose a task on: to burden with severe work.— ns. Task′er , one who imposes a task, or who performs it; Task′ing , task-work; Task′master , a master who imposes a task: an overseer:— fem. Task′mistress ; Task′work , work done as a task, or by the job.— Take to task , to reprove. [O. Fr. tasque (Fr. tâche )—Low L. tasca , taxa —L. taxāre , to rate.]

Editors Contribution Rate this definition: 4.0 / 1 vote

A simple defined piece of work.

The project task list was so easy and simple for all to follow.

Submitted by MaryC on January 23, 2020  

Suggested Resources Rate this definition: 0.0 / 0 votes

What does TASK stand for? -- Explore the various meanings for the TASK acronym on the Abbreviations.com website.

Matched Categories

British national corpus.

Spoken Corpus Frequency

Rank popularity for the word 'task' in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #1070

Written Corpus Frequency

Rank popularity for the word 'task' in Written Corpus Frequency: #2347

Nouns Frequency

Rank popularity for the word 'task' in Nouns Frequency: #333

Anagrams for task »

How to pronounce task.

Alex US English David US English Mark US English Daniel British Libby British Mia British Karen Australian Hayley Australian Natasha Australian Veena Indian Priya Indian Neerja Indian Zira US English Oliver British Wendy British Fred US English Tessa South African

How to say task in sign language?

Chaldean Numerology

The numerical value of task in Chaldean Numerology is: 1

Pythagorean Numerology

The numerical value of task in Pythagorean Numerology is: 6

Examples of task in a Sentence

Francis de Sales :

Have patience with all things, but chiefly have patience with yourself. Do not lose courage in considering your own imperfections, but instantly set about remedying them -- every day begin the task anew -

Ned Lamont of Connecticut :

It seems a little weird that just a couple of days ago The President was at the Lincoln Memorial, doubling the estimates for the number of people who were going to die, given the Covid crisis, then a day later says we may wind down the Pence task force, it doesn't make any sense to me. I think we need more federal direction.

As a matter of self-preservation, a man needs good friends or ardent enemies, for the former instruct him and the latter take him to task .

Bruce Hoffman :

The tech task force's focus has turned primarily to actual investigations, rather than what you might think of as' lead generation,'.

Rochester Police Chief LaRon Singletary :

We understand they are upset, they have a right to be upset. Our job is to focus on the task at hand.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

Translations for task, from our multilingual translation dictionary.

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Citation

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Alternative searches for task :

task calendar definition

Task technology is a set of consistent methods and instruments which together form up certain mechanism for successful performing of tasks. There are different task technologies for both group and individual approaches, that are intended to bring facilitation and optimization into task initialization, preparing, statement, starting, executing, managing, controlling and finishing. Task technology may outline methods of task description, setting, planning, responsibilities assignment, data collection, output and success measuring etc. The more typical is task – the higher is routineness of task technology, so it is more familiar, better tested, optimized and as result – more effective in use. Today, the indispensable part of any task tech is computer-based instruments which suitability can be valuated according to “Task-Technology fit” theory which provides a measure for evaluating positive impact of IT on individual performance. The measure of task technology consists of 8 factors: quality, locatability, authorization, compatibility, ease of use/training, production timeliness, systems reliability, and relationship with users. Each factor is measured using between two and ten questions with responses on a seven point scale ranging from strongly disagree to strongly agree.

VIP Task Manager is real-time teamwork software that can be used for streamlining your performance to get more productivity and output from your employees by implementing better time management. This client-server program facilitates planning and controlling projects through using different adjustable modes (calendar, job tree, to-do list) and analyzing performance of your workgroup in order to identify project evolution, get faster data collection, control costs and team efficiency.

To implement streamlined task technology in your project do the following:

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Growth Trends for Related Jobs

Clerical duties and skills definition.

careertrend article image

Clerical workers act as administrative support staff for a business. Duties vary by position, but typically, a clerical work definition includes answering phones, printing and faxing, filing, data entry, managing mail and more. In addition to performing basic office duties, expect to use your customer service skills as you answer phones and greet visitors. Clerical workers are often the first point of contact for a business, so they must handle interactions with customers, clients and investors with ease. The ideal clerical worker is highly organized and detail-oriented. In this career, you must balance several tasks at once. You will wear many different hats and find that no two days look alike.

Clerical Duties Definition

Clerical duties vary depending on the company and individual position. For example, some positions require basic mathematics and accounting. Other jobs are more focused on data entry, which requires no math whatsoever. Common clerical duties you can expect to perform as a clerical worker include:

Clerical Skills Definition

Based on the large range of duties required, clerical workers need to bring specific skills to the table. A list of necessary skills you might see on a clerical job description includes:

Clerical Salary

Recent data from PayScale shows that a clerical worker makes an average of $33,000 per year, with a median wage of $13.33 per hour. Experienced clerks tend to earn a higher salary. Some clerical positions, such as executive assistants, require education and experience. These clerical workers naturally earn more to reflect their expertise.

Clerical Experience and Education Requirements

Most clerical positions are entry level, but some companies have senior clerks on hand as well. For typical entry-level positions, a high school diploma is required, but a college degree is not. Of course, having a college degree, whether an associate degree or bachelor’s degree, increases your earning potential and puts you in a position to be promoted. However, many jobs are available to those with no clerical experience or college degree. The most important thing is that you can demonstrate through your resume and interview that you have the right skills for the job.

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Chelsea Levinson earned her B.S. in Business from Fordham University and her J.D. from Cardozo. She specializes in labor and workplace issues, and has created content for Vox, Levo, AOL and more.

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COMMENTS

  1. task: Meaning and Definition of

    Calendar & Holidays Overview. of or pertaining to a task or tasks: A task chart will help organize the department's work

  2. SCHEDULE VISIBILITY TASKS (SVT)

    The "Test Calendar" had exception days (non-working days) which means that this particular task could not start immediately after the predecessor task. First, regardless of whether the alternate calendar is a Resource Calendar or a Task Calendar

  3. Task

    Define task. task synonyms, task pronunciation, task translation, English dictionary definition of task. n. 1. A piece of work assigned or done as part of one's duties

  4. Task technology – definitions, methods and tools

    Task technology is a set of consistent methods and instruments which together form up certain mechanism for successful performing of tasks

  5. Clerical Duties and Skills Definition

    Duties vary by position, but typically, a clerical work definition includes answering phones, printing and faxing, filing, data entry, managing mail and more

  6. Task Definition & Meaning

    To assign a task to; require or demand a piece of work of. On my first day in the office, I was tasked with sorting a pile of invoices