signal
Americannoun
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signals
plural
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anything that serves to indicate, warn, direct, command, or the like, such as a light, a gesture, an act, etc.: a signal to leave.
a traffic signal;
a signal to leave.
- Synonyms:
- sign
-
anything agreed upon or understood as the occasion for concerted action.
-
an act, event, or the like that causes or incites some action.
The unjust execution was the signal for revolt.
-
a token; indication.
- Synonyms:
- sign
-
Electronics. an electrical quantity or effect, as current, voltage, or electromagnetic waves, that can be varied in such a way as to convey information.
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Cards. a play that reveals to one's partner a wish that they continue or discontinue the suit led.
adjective
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serving as a token or indication; used in communiating an intention, warning, or command.
a signal flag.
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unusual; notable; outstanding.
a signal exploit.
- Synonyms:
- striking, remarkable, exceptional, unique
verb (used with object)
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signals,
present (3rd person singular)
-
signaled,
past participle, past
-
signalled,
past participle, past (especially British)
-
signaling,
present participle
-
signalling
present participle (especially British)
-
to make a token or indication to.
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to communicate or make known by a token or indication.
verb (used without object)
-
signals,
present (3rd person singular)
-
signaled,
past participle, past
-
signalled,
past participle, past (especially British)
-
signaling,
present participle
-
signalling
present participle (especially British)
noun
-
any sign, gesture, token, etc, that serves to communicate information
-
anything that acts as an incitement to action
the rise in prices was a signal for rebellion
-
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a variable parameter, such as a current or electromagnetic wave, by which information is conveyed through an electronic circuit, communications system, etc
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the information so conveyed
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( as modifier )
signal strength
a signal generator
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adjective
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distinguished or conspicuous
-
used to give or act as a signal
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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presignalnoun
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signalernoun
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signallernoun
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resignalverb
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unsignaledadjective
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unsignalledadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
signalsimple
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signalssimple
-
have signaledperfect
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have signalledperfect
-
has signaledperfect
-
has signalledperfect
-
am signalingprogressive
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am signallingprogressive
-
are signalingprogressive
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are signallingprogressive
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is signalingprogressive
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is signallingprogressive
-
have been signalingperfect progressive
-
have been signallingperfect progressive
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has been signalingperfect progressive
-
has been signallingperfect progressive
Past
-
signaledsimple
-
signalledsimple
-
had signaledperfect
-
had signalledperfect
-
was signalingprogressive
-
was signallingprogressive
-
were signalingprogressive
-
were signallingprogressive
-
had been signalingperfect progressive
-
had been signallingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of signal
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English noun from Old French seignal, signal, from Medieval Latin signāle, Late Latin, noun use of neuter of signālis “of a sign”; see sign, -al 2, -al 1
Explanation
A signal is a gesture or message that people use to communicate with each other. The wave you give a good friend to call her over from across the room and the impulse that transmits your voice through the telephone to your mother are both signals. In the course of a single day, you probably send and receive thousands of different signals. When you want to cross the street, you wait for the green light — a signal that it's safe to cross. If you're in a relationship and you're not sure whether you like the person you're dating, you could be sending mixed signals — first acting like you're interested, and then acting uninterested. If your date finally gets tired of your mixed signals while you're at a restaurant, you'll need to signal to your server that it's time for the check.
Vocabulary lists containing signal
Baseball: A Lexicon
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Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Many display high balances in their investment accounts to signal that they are trustworthy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
And that was essentially a bat signal for scholars and historians to try to come up with those reasons and feed them to the court.
From Slate ● Aug. 16, 2026
“An individual signal is not all that informative, but when they fire consistently over weeks or even months, the false-positive rate tends to go down,” Goepfert said.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 15, 2026
TAO is working to isolate that weak emission, while the Double Chooz findings now provide the first published benchmark for studying the residual signal from shut-down reactors and spent-fuel pools.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 14, 2026
On the night of the escape, November 14, the diggers got the “all clear” signal from the farmhouse.
From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin
So as you get older, your brain is less able to register these signals and may cause your joints to bear weight unevenly.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 16, 2026
On a recent night in Kyiv when there were mixed signals about a Russian strike, Kateryna Reshetnyk had gone down to the subway.
From Barron's ● Aug. 16, 2026
Students’ insulation from costs and price signals has important consequences.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
Lindelof’s involvement, along with that of “Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow” series author Tom King, signals a seriousness of intent amplified by the placing the series’ showrunner stewardship under “True Detective” and “Ozark” producer Chris Mundy.
From Salon ● Aug. 14, 2026
Curving streets spread out in a grid, glittering with green, yellow, and red traffic signals.
From "Shooting Kabul" by N. H. Senzai
A California federal judge on Thursday signaled that she is likely to order immigration agents to stop arresting people without warrants unless they determine they are likely to escape.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026
Morgan analyst Joseph Cardoso noted that Lumentum’s management signaled that there are opportunities in the pipeline around lasers and other optical equipment that largely aren’t yet factored into the company’s broader financial targets.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 12, 2026
At least six of the voters have signaled in recent weeks they could support eventually raising rates if inflation doesn’t improve.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026
Integral signaled annual revenue of A$788 million-A$790 million.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026
Her clothes were a kind of shibboleth to me; they signaled that she was not a gentile, and for a few hours I felt less alone.
From "Educated" by Tara Westover
Tehran signalled last week that it had agreed with Oman a route for ships to transit the strait and were finalising arrangements to jointly manage the waterway.
From Barron's ● Aug. 15, 2026
New UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham's first week in office signalled a shift in focus and style for the centre-left Labour government as he sought a clean break from predecessor Keir Starmer.
From Barron's ● Jul. 26, 2026
Maduro's attorney Barry Pollack signalled that he will argue at trial that his client was protected by sovereign immunity, a legal principle shielding heads of state from prosecution.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
Crisis chief executive Matt Downie said it was "absolutely fantastic" to see Burnham's pledge, adding it signalled a shift away from "simply managing homelessness, which costs billions to the public purse".
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026
The witch doctor then signalled the old woman to bring his medicine bag.
From "Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography" by Mark Mathabane
China’s weak domestic consumption remains a drag on JD.com’s core business, however, with sales at the nation’s second-largest annual shopping festival signaling persistent softness.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
The fund managers use internal analysis and outside consultants to assign ratings signaling whether those borrowers are meeting expectations and seem likely to keep paying their debts.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026
SpaceX shares dipped below their IPO price of $135 on Wednesday morning for the first time since listing, signaling dwindling hype around the Elon Musk company.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026
Previous studies have indicated that cancer cells surviving chemotherapy may help drive recurrence by releasing a complicated mixture of signaling molecules.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 4, 2026
After a moment he wiggles his fingers, signaling the start of Lucinda’s procession.
From "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen
In April, the company launched its "Verified by Spotify" badge, signalling that a profile has been reviewed and meets its authenticity standard.
From Barron's ● Aug. 11, 2026
The world's largest economy lost 23,000 jobs in July, data published by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics showed, signalling potential labor market weakness after months of steady growth.
From Barron's ● Aug. 7, 2026
Thousands of rail passengers have described "nightmare" journeys, after being hit by delays and cancellations following a power failure at a Manchester signalling centre that caused major disruption across northern England.
From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026
Markets have interpreted this as leaning on yields to deliver the tightening, rather than signalling an imminent policy action from the Fed, the international economist and currency strategist adds.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026
With her right hand raised overhead, she was frantically signalling to someone—her child, perhaps, or her husband, or possibly the viewer—to drop everything and hurry over.
From "Nine Stories" by J. D. Salinger
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
