signature

American  

[sig-nuh-cher, -choor] / ˈsɪg nə tʃər, -ˌtʃʊər /

noun

• signatures
  plural

1. a person's name, or a mark representing it, as signed personally or by deputy, as in subscribing a letter or other document.

2. the act of signing a document.

3. Music. a sign or set of signs at the beginning of a staff to indicate the key or the time of a piece.

4. Radio. a song, musical arrangement, sound effect, etc., used as a theme identifying a program.

5. any unique, distinguishing aspect, feature, or mark.

6. Medicine/Medical. that part of a written prescription that specifies directions for use.

7. Biology, Medicine/Medical. a distinctive characteristic or set of characteristics by which a biological structure or medical condition is recognized.

8. Also called section. Bookbinding. a printed sheet folded to page size for binding together, with other such sheets, to form a book, magazine, etc.

9. Printing.

   1. a letter or other symbol generally placed by the printer at the foot of the first page of every sheet to guide the binder in folding the sheets and in gathering them in sequence.

   2. a sheet so marked.

10. Chemistry, Physics. a characteristic trace or sign that indicates the presence of a substance or the occurrence of a physical process or event.

    The satellite recorded a spectrum that is the signature of a nuclear explosion.

---

adjective

1. serving to identify or distinguish a person, group, etc..

   a signature tune.

signature British  

/ ˈsɪɡnɪtʃə /

noun

1. the name of a person or a mark or sign representing his name, marked by himself or by an authorized deputy

2. the act of signing one's name

3. 1. a distinctive mark, characteristic, etc, that identifies a person or thing

   2. ( as modifier )

      a signature fragrance

4. music See key signature time signature

5. Abbreviation: Sig, S. the part of a medical prescription that instructs a patient how frequently and in what amounts he should take a drug or agent

6. printing

   1. a sheet of paper printed with several pages that upon folding will become a section or sections of a book

   2. such a sheet so folded

   3. a mark, esp a letter, printed on the first page of a signature

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• signatureless
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• signatures
  plural

Etymology

Origin of signature

1525–35; < Medieval Latin signātūra a signing, equivalent to Latin signāt ( us ) past participle of signāre to mark ( see sign, -ate ¹) + -ūra -ure

Explanation

When you sign your name in your own handwriting, that is your signature. Things you can put your signature on include checks, permission slips, letters, stays of execution, and declarations of independence. Signature isn't just about signing your name on the dotted line. A characteristic mark, tune, or style is also called a signature. Perhaps you have a favorite outfit or style that you consider your signature look. "I Did It My Way" was a signature tune of Frank Sinatra. In music, the signature indicates what key the song is set in by showing the sharps and flats.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

signature signatures

Jacob Tremblay embodies a young Kaczynski almost exactly as I have imagined him, minus the smiling and the forging of his mother’s signature.

From Salon ● Oct. 4, 2026

They must sign their mail ballots, and their signature is compared to the one the state has on file to verify their identity.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026

"Let me reiterate it here: France's signature is solid."

From Barron's ● Oct. 1, 2026

Campbell appealed, saying one of her fellow trustees, lawyer Bianka Hellmich, forged her signature and impersonated her using a fake email address to misdirect money that was intended for the charity.

From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026

Finally, to top it all off and heighten its dramatic appeal, the petition arrived under the signature of Benjamin Franklin, whose patriotic credentials and international reputation were beyond dispute.

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis

The pact signed on 29 September includes the signatures of executives from top tech firms like OpenAI, Anthropic, SpaceX and Google.

From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026

The other comes from chemical signatures preserved in some of the oldest stars in and around the Milky Way - the galaxy that contains our Solar System.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 3, 2026

"We hope our work could pave the way for objective blood tests capable of identifying underlying biological signatures rather than relying solely on patient-reported symptoms," said Prof Pshezhetskiy.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 2, 2026

Images of the signatures for the order were mocked online, external however - when it was discovered "United States" had been spelt incorrectly underneath President Trump's signature.

From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026

“Anyway, I should probably grab a few more signatures before the bell rings,” Ellie said, adjusting her backpack.

From "The First Rule of Punk" by Celia C. Pérez

Related Words

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