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.

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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

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adjective

1. having signed a document, treaty, etc

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.

Example Sentences

Court filings claim that, either Indyke and Kahn - but often both of them - "had signatory authority over virtually all of the accounts held by Epstein", which meant they were authorised to make transactions.

From BBC • Mar. 10, 2026

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

From Slate • Feb. 27, 2026

TAP Portugal had sent a copy of one of Zamora’s certificates to CFM International who wrote back declaring that the signatory on the document wasn’t an employee.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 23, 2026

"The problem with that arrest is that it violates the UN Charter," she added, noting the United States is a signatory of the United Nations' founding document.

From Barron's • Jan. 4, 2026

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

Related Words

• autograph
• identification
• ink
• name
• seal
• stamp
• trademark