sign-on
noun
the opening salutation, station identification, etc., at the beginning of the broadcast day.
sign-on
American
[sahyn-on, -awn]
/ ˈsaɪnˌɒn, -ˌɔn /
noun
-
Radio and Television. the opening salutation, station identification, etc., at the beginning of the broadcast day.
-
an act or instance of signing on.
sign on
British
verb
-
(tr) to hire or employ
-
(intr) to commit oneself to a job, activity, etc
-
(intr) to register as unemployed with the Department of Social Security
sign on
Idioms
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Enlist oneself as an employee, as in Arthur decided to sign on with the new software company . [Late 1800s]
-
Begin radio or television broadcasting, especially at the beginning of the day, as in What time does the station sign on? [c. 1920]
Etymology
Origin of sign-on
First recorded in 1880–85; noun use of verb phrase sign on
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:
In Russia’s Ulan-Ude, high sign-on bonuses and so-called “coffin money”—the payout benefits for fallen soldiers—are fueling an economic boom.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026
To offset lost compensation from Pfizer, Nike will also pay him a one-time cash sign-on bonus of $7.25 million.
From Barron's ● Jun. 24, 2026
Koepka won $34.3 million in prize money during his time at LIV, which is separate from his undisclosed sign-on fee.
From MarketWatch ● Jan. 12, 2026
Across the 2023-24 season, Liverpool closed 100,000 fake accounts, and believe new preventative measures including multi-factor authentication, single sign-on and the implementation of more advanced fraud analysis tools, have made a difference.
From BBC ● Sep. 25, 2025
"We'd all have to sign-on for a month, though."
From The Adventure Club Afloat by Ralph Henry Barbour
Often I’d sign on to read the takes of sharp commenters over the writers who provided the digital parlor.
From Salon ● Aug. 23, 2026
Behind him, a sign on a fence reads "Private Property."
From Barron's ● Aug. 11, 2026
That was enough to persuade Cornyn and Tillis to sign on, but both still voiced some reservations about Blanche’s ability to stand up to Trump, who is his former legal client.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026
Other major powers have also refused to sign on to the court, including China, India and Russia.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
“A-Dawg. It’s my call sign on Screaming Eagles IV.”
From "Eleven" by Tom Rogers
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.
