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
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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.
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a token; indication.
- Synonyms:
- sign
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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
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signalled,
past participle, past (especially British)
-
signaling,
present participle
-
signalling
present participle (especially British)
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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
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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
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signalsimple
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signalssimple
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have signaledperfect
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have signalledperfect
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has signaledperfect
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has signalledperfect
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am signalingprogressive
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am signallingprogressive
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are signalingprogressive
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are signallingprogressive
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is signalingprogressive
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is signallingprogressive
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have been signalingperfect progressive
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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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Words for the World Series
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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:
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
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has nominated acting Bank Indonesia Governor Destry Damayanti as the sole candidate to lead the central bank, a move that could signal policy continuity.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
Initial results from JUNO-TAO, presented at Neutrino 2026, show that researchers are also using reactor-off data to study the faint antineutrino signal produced by spent nuclear fuel.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 14, 2026
“There you are, Roz,” he said as the robot’s electronic signal appeared on the map.
From "The Wild Robot Escapes" by Peter Brown
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
These could provide key signals on the prospects of the Bank of England raising interest rates later this year.
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
He signals with one clawed hand for Cardan to return to the table.
From "The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black
Bessent signaled that the pressure campaign is about to intensify, telling Newsmax more measures would be announced next week.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026
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
Integral signaled annual revenue of A$788 million-A$790 million.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026
She signaled and a man appeared, walking out of the shadows, carrying a tray of equipment that he set down on the table.
From "Stormbreaker" by Anthony Horowitz
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
The bigger question is whether Burnham is likely to follow through with some of the more expensive policies he's previously signalled, including reforming social care or expanding council house building.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 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
Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson also signalled Monday that diplomatic exchanges with the United States -- via mediators -- were ongoing.
From Barron's ● Jul. 20, 2026
A trifle wildly, he looked at the Comanches near his seat and signalled the row to give way.
From "Nine Stories" by J. D. Salinger
Iran’s top leadership is now weighing the deal to begin reopening the strait, but officials are signaling a tough bargain.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026
Blood samples were also collected so the team could examine changes involving metabolism, immune activity, molecular signaling, and other biological processes.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 9, 2026
Less than six seconds passed, and an all-caps alert came through, signaling urgency.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2026
The company is keeping costs in check while signaling upbeat growth trends, analysts say.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026
At the end, when the congregation began to break up„ he raised his arms signaling for attention.
From "One Hundred Years of Solitude" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
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
Friday's data will also pose a question to the US Federal Reserve, which has been signalling it was preparing for a rate hike later this year.
From Barron's ● Aug. 7, 2026
Manchester Rail Operating Centre was opened in July 2014 and houses all the controls to safely operate the railway in the region, including signalling.
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
"Hello, there," I began, and when he turned toward the crowd and whistled I didn't know whether he was telling me to do the same or signalling to someone else.
From "Invisible Man" by Ralph Ellison
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.
