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Synonyms

signatory

American  
[sig-nuh-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee] / ˈsɪg nəˌtɔr i, -ˌtoʊr i /

adjective

  1. having signed, or joined in signing, a document.

    the signatory powers to a treaty.


noun

plural

signatories
  1. a signer, or one of the signers, of a document.

    France and Holland were among the signatories of the treaty.

signatory British  
/ ˈsɪɡnətərɪ, -trɪ /

noun

  1. a person who has signed a document such as a treaty or contract or an organization, state, etc, on whose behalf such a document has been signed

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

adjective

  1. having signed a document, treaty, etc

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • nonsignatory adjective

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 ( 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.

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing signatory

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.

Iran is also a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, which makes the same pledge.

From Slate • Feb. 27, 2026

But during the last two sessions, the 191 signatory states failed to agree on a final document, and experts expect the same outcome in April.

From Barron's • Dec. 22, 2025

Around that time, both Kahn and Indyke had signatory authority on some accounts.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 23, 2025

My favorite part: A demand that the sky-high tuition of signatory universities be frozen for five years.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 5, 2025

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