on assignment
Sent for work
On assignment describes someone, typically a journalist, photographer, or other professional, who is working away from their usual location on a specific task or project for their employer.
The phrase emphasizes that the person's presence somewhere is work-related rather than personal.
She's on assignment in Cairo covering the elections.
The photographer spent three months on assignment in Antarctica.
- missionPurpose-driven task
- temporaryLimited in duration
- projectPlanned, effortful task
- employeeHired organizational member
- contractorHired construction professional
fieldwork · field agent · dispatched · remote work · operative · deployment · agent · task · overseas · foreign bureau · war correspondent · delegated · job · engagement · correspondent · news crew · on location · photographer
on assignmentunassigned
Not given out
off duty · on leave · on standby · on vacation · inactive
on assignmentavailable
Ready to be used
free · at liberty · uncommitted · on call · on the bench
assignment, assign, assigns, assigned, assigning, assignee, assignor, assignable, reassign