sign-off
noun
the act or fact of signing off.
sign-off
American
[sahyn-awf, -of]
/ ˈsaɪnˌɔf, -ˌɒf /
Or
signoff
noun
-
the act or fact of signing off.
-
personal approval or authorization; endorsement.
sign off
British
verb
-
(intr) to announce the end of a radio or television programme, esp at the end of a day
-
(intr) bridge to make a conventional bid indicating to one's partner that one wishes the bidding to stop
-
(tr) to withdraw or retire from (an activity)
-
(tr) (of a doctor) to declare (someone) unfit for work, because of illness
-
(intr) to terminate one's claim to unemployment benefit
sign off
Idioms
-
Announce the end of a communication, especially a broadcast. For example, There's no one there now; the station has signed off for the night . [c. 1920]
-
Stop talking, become silent, as in Every time the subject of marriage came up, Harold signed off . [ Colloquial ; mid-1900s]
-
Express approval formally or conclusively, as in The President got the majority leader to sign off on the tax proposal . This usage is colloquial.
Etymology
Origin of sign-off
First recorded in 1925–30; noun use of verb phrase sign off
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:
With Thursday’s sign-off by the California Public Utilities Commission, the mammoth merger is expected to close next week.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
The final decision on his appointment still requires the normal pre-employment checks and sign-off from full council, which is due to meet next week.
From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026
Almost all of the Z4’s components—from controls to the use of previous-generation engines on its demonstrator—are taken from existing planes, meaning they have already obtained sign-off from the Federal Aviation Administration.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
The company is pursuing a $110 billion merger with Warner Bros. that requires sign-off from Trump’s own Justice Department.
From Salon ● Jun. 15, 2026
She used Immie’s favorite words, her slang, her sign-off, her “kind ofs” and “maybes.”
From "Genuine Fraud" by E. Lockhart
So you need to make a rule outside of this argument: You both sign off on big-ticket decisions.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 21, 2026
Ultimately, the board of directors had to sign off on Adelkoff’s vacation payout, apartment and car.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026
He said one of the reasons the book is called Swan Song is because it is his "sign off" as Diana's brother and "final take on the situation".
From BBC ● Sep. 20, 2026
He had the benefit of support from the NBA Players Association, which needed to sign off on the league’s action.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026
I have to have the supervisor guy sign off on each day of my community service.
From "Wayward Creatures" by Dayna Lorentz
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
