Unassignability

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The quality or state of being unable to be transferred, allocated, or designated to another party or purpose in any context
2. The characteristic of something that cannot be reassigned, delegated, or designated for different use, ownership, or responsibility
3. The condition describing the incapacity to pass on, allocate, or assign rights, tasks, or properties to another entity or individual

Etymology: "Assign" came into English from Old French "assigner", which descended from Latin "assignare", meaning "to mark out" or "allot". The Latin verb combined "ad-" ("to") with "signare" ("to mark"), from "signum", a sign or seal. To assign something was originally to set a mark on it that showed whom it belonged to. The rest of the form is built from ordinary parts. "Assignable" adds the suffix "-able", meaning capable of being done. The prefix "un-" means "not", and the suffix "-ity", which turns an adjective into a noun for a quality, passed into English through French from Latin "-itas". Together they name the state of not being capable of being transferred or allotted to someone else.

Synonyms: nontransferability, nonassignability, inalienability

Antonyms: assignability, transferability