signatory
Americanadjective
noun
noun
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of signatory
1640–50, in earlier sense “used in affixing seals”; 1860–65 signatory for def. 2; < Latin signātōrius of, belonging to sealing, equivalent to signā ( re ) to mark, seal ( see sign) + -tōrius -tory 1
Explanation
A signatory is someone who signs a document and is subject to it. The co-signer for a loan is one type of signatory. A signatory is someone who signs a contract, therefore creating a legal obligation. There could be several signatories for a specific contract. Over time, this word has often been used for a person or country who signs a peace treaty. If the treaty is broken, the signatory will be blamed. You could be a signatory for a marriage, mortgage, adoption, lawsuit, or employment contract.
Vocabulary lists containing signatory
The Bean Trees
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This Week In Words: June 6–12, 2020
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Nevermoor
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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:
The U.S., under Bill Clinton, was a signatory to the treaty, but it was never ratified, and in 2002 it was officially withdrawn by George W. Bush.
From Salon ● Jul. 19, 2026
Blanche is the signatory of this separate agreement to not conduct any audits or to conduct any enforcement proceedings based on those tax returns.
From Slate ● May 26, 2026
Watchmen and Lost co-creator Damon Lindelof, a signatory who has an overall deal with Warner Bros Discovery, further voiced his opposition on social media.
From BBC ● Apr. 13, 2026
Jenkins alleges Davis remained a signatory on its bank accounts, directed spending, and used the collective impact nonprofit to cover personal expenses.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 2, 2026
On the morning of March 7, thirty thousand German troops had rolled into the demilitarized Rhineland, in open defiance of both the Treaty of Versailles and the Locarno Pact to which Germany was a signatory.
From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown
Despite the confrontational tone of the letter, some signatories struck a more conciliatory note.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 23, 2026
Approval was then reversed after a review by Maine’s secretary of state found more than 12,500 signatures invalid for reasons ranging from duplicate signatures to signatories not matching local registration rolls.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 15, 2026
The signatories included Kremer, who has supported Trump since his first White House win in 2016, and former Trump adviser Steve Bannon.
From Barron's ● Jun. 2, 2026
The amendment's signatories include select committee chairs Ruth Cadbury, Cat Smith and Helen Hayes.
From BBC ● May 19, 2026
Therefore, all neutral nations, including the United States of America, must join the congress as signatories and guarantors of the peace settlement.
From German Problems and Personalities by Saroléa, Charles
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.
