signal
Americannoun
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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.
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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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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)
noun
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any sign, gesture, token, etc, that serves to communicate information
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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
-
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
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signaledsimple
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signalledsimple
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had signaledperfect
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had signalledperfect
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was signalingprogressive
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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.
That can provide a useful signal, though, according to Adam Parker, founder of Trivariate Research.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 8, 2026
Absorbed students carefully threaded wires into junction boxes to make circuits connected to lights, bulbs flickering on one by one to signal a job well done.
From Barron's • Jul. 8, 2026
Women come from other groups, but in worlds where female mobility is a common pattern, from the great apes to human societies, interpreting this signal immediately becomes more subtle.
From Science Daily • Jul. 7, 2026
It’s laughable to think that such a blunt vote sends any kind of democratic signal one way or another about any particular policy.
From Slate • Jul. 7, 2026
He was also picking up a much stronger signal from a nearby radio station.
From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin
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.
