signatory
Americanadjective
noun
-
signatories
plural
noun
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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 ( see 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.
Vocabulary lists containing signatory
The Bean Trees
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This Week In Words: June 6–12, 2020
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Nevermoor
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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 the terms are being rewritten in real time by the sole signatory.
From Slate ● Aug. 10, 2026
The U.S., under Bill Clinton, was a signatory to the treaty, but it was never ratified, and in 2002 it was officially withdrawn by George W. Bush.
From Salon ● Jul. 19, 2026
Watchmen and Lost co-creator Damon Lindelof, a signatory who has an overall deal with Warner Bros Discovery, further voiced his opposition on social media.
From BBC ● Apr. 13, 2026
Jenkins alleges Davis remained a signatory on its bank accounts, directed spending, and used the collective impact nonprofit to cover personal expenses.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 2, 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
More than 116,000 signatories had been confirmed as of Thursday morning, according to the Canadian parliament website.
From Barron's ● Aug. 13, 2026
Among the cross-party signatories are MPs with their own Plan 2 student loans, which have come under particular scrutiny this year.
From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026
Maria Elvira Salazar from Florida and Brian Fitzpatrick from Pennsylvania, the only Republican signatories to date.
From Slate ● Aug. 4, 2026
The new signatories account for about 80% of all power delivered to U.S. homes and businesses, according to a White House official.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026
The treaty of 9 February 1920 gave the 41 signatories equal rights to exploit mineral deposits, subject to Norwegian regulation.
From The 2008 CIA World Factbook by United States. Central Intelligence Agency
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.
