task

A specific piece of work or duty required to be done, often as part of a larger project or set of responsibilities. It implies a distinct, definable unit of work, particularly in structured environments like project management or programming, where it represents a singular, actionable item. This focus on a discrete, actionable unit can make it untranslatable in contexts where a general "job" or "work" is implied but not a precisely defined, standalone unit.

• The team completed the difficult task ahead of schedule. — The team finished the challenging assignment earlier than planned.
• My first task of the day is to check emails. — The initial duty of my day is to review electronic messages.
• Breaking down a large project into smaller tasks makes it more manageable. — Dividing a big project into smaller, definable pieces of work helps in managing it better.

To assign a specific piece of work or a duty to someone; to burden someone with a particular responsibility, often one that is challenging or demanding. The term emphasizes the act of delegating a discrete unit of work, and can imply placing a significant or difficult demand on someone, which might not have a single direct equivalent in other languages when conveying this sense of demanding assignment.

• The manager tasked her with leading the new initiative. — The manager assigned her the responsibility of directing the new project.
• He was tasked with finding a solution to the complex problem. — He was given the demanding responsibility of discovering an answer to the intricate issue.
• The software automatically tasks the next available agent with customer inquiries. — The program automatically assigns incoming customer questions to the next free agent.