signify
Americanverb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
verb
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(tr) to indicate, show, or suggest
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(tr) to imply or portend
the clouds signified the coming storm
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(tr) to stand as a symbol, sign, etc (for)
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informal (intr) to be significant or important
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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signifysimple
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signifiessimple
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have signifiedperfect
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has signifiedperfect
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am signifyingprogressive
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are signifyingprogressive
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is signifyingprogressive
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have been signifyingperfect progressive
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has been signifyingperfect progressive
Past
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signifiedsimple
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had signifiedperfect
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was signifyingprogressive
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were signifyingprogressive
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had been signifyingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of signify
First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English signifien, from Old French signifier, from Latin significāre “to make a sign, indicate, mention, denote”; equivalent to sign + -ify
Explanation
To signify means to "mean." When Paul Revere looked for the lanterns in the church tower, he knew that one would signify that the British were coming by land and two would indicate that they were coming by sea. When objects are endowed with symbolic meaning, they are said to signify things. A dove signifies peace, a six-pointed star signifies Judaism, a frog signifies fertility, a trident signifies the Hindu Shiva or the Greek Poseidon.
Vocabulary lists containing signify
Academic Vocabulary: Core Tier 2 Words, List 4
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Divergent
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Tears of a Tiger
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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:
Downing Street published a list of the nominations, external and said the King "has been graciously pleased to signify his intention of conferring peerages".
From BBC ● Jul. 16, 2026
The rally is causing momentum indicators to flash signals that could signify a heavily crowded trade ripe for a correction.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 16, 2026
Disney said in its news release that it is a new certification for premium large format theaters and “will signify to audiences which auditoriums offer the biggest, brightest, and most immersive cinematic experiences.”
From Barron's ● May 22, 2026
And that’s why at the base of the structure is a looping opening meant to signify a half-open doorway.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 11, 2026
She longed for a sign, a rainbow, to signify security.
From "Half of a Yellow Sun" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
A reading above 50 signifies economic growth, while one below 50 indicates contraction.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026
The service's map of Germany was nearly completely coloured the dark purple that signifies "extreme heat warning".
From Barron's ● Jun. 26, 2026
Dahlia Lithwick: This seems like a very technical case, but that 6–3 split signifies a lot.
From Slate ● Jun. 11, 2026
Trust & Will’s power-of-attorney tally actually signifies that some progress is being made, just based on the fact that the online estate-planning platform asked about it as part of its large national survey.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 14, 2026
The kiss signifies to me a betrayal of the older ceremonial liturgy.
From "Hunger of Memory" by Richard Rodriguez
The name, first used by a band of World War I-era Jewish spies, signified that no one identified in the attack would be forgotten.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 21, 2026
Palantir’s Artificial Intelligence Platform signified a breakthrough, as customers realized Palantir could provide AI solutions that were effective, Luria said.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 4, 2026
The box office totals for the subsequent weekends after a film’s opening were more important to him than its debut, as it signified moviegoers essentially voting for a film by going back again and again.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 5, 2025
He said the tattoos signified his affection for his family, not evidence of affiliation with a gang.
From Salon ● Aug. 1, 2025
We were escorted to the river to bathe in its cold waters, a ritual that signified our purification before the ceremony.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
Head of football operations Damian Vidagany held his hands on his head at the final whistle, signifying a release of pressure, before embracing Tielemans.
From BBC ● May 20, 2026
A combination of letters signifying a person or brand feels Old World rather than the shiny new feeling that defines our casual, everyday West Coast lifestyle.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 8, 2026
That would prove the regime’s inability to defend itself, signifying it can’t long survive and exacerbating divisions within a system already rocked by an accelerated succession crisis and the elimination of many top leaders.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 17, 2026
For most of my adult life, I have felt like that kind of “within” talk is fortune-cookie horoscope speak, signifying nothing.
From Salon ● Feb. 13, 2026
“I promise you, gentlemen, that before this sale is ended each one of you will have the number ‘fifty’ inscribed in that final box, signifying that you have done your part for Trinity .
From "The Chocolate War" by Robert Cormier
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.
