assignats
|as-sig-nats|
/əˈsɪɡnæt/
(assignat)
land-backed revolutionary paper money
Etymology
'assignat' originates from French, specifically the word 'assignat', where the element 'assign-' comes from Old French 'assigner' meaning 'to assign' (to allot) and the suffix '-at' was used to form nouns.
'assignat' changed from Latin 'assignare' (from ad- 'to' + signare 'to mark/sign') into Old French 'assigner' and then the French noun 'assignat', which was borrowed into English as 'assignat'.
Initially it referred to an 'assigned claim' or instrument representing an assigned debt; over time it became specialized to mean the paper money or bonds issued during the French Revolution.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a paper monetary note issued during the French Revolution, originally backed by confiscated church or national lands and used as government currency or bonds.
The government issued assignats to pay its debts, but over-issuance led to severe inflation.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/11/03 09:22