signify

American  

[sig-nuh-fahy] / ˈsɪg nəˌfaɪ /

verb (used with object)

signified, signifying

1. to make known by signs, speech, or action.

   Synonyms:

   indicate , express , signal

2. to be a sign of; mean; portend.

   Synonyms:

   imply , betoken , denote , indicate , represent

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verb (used without object)

signified, signifying

1. to be of importance or consequence.

signify British  

/ ˈsɪɡnɪˌfaɪ /

verb

1. (tr) to indicate, show, or suggest

2. (tr) to imply or portend

   the clouds signified the coming storm

3. (tr) to stand as a symbol, sign, etc (for)

4. informal  (intr) to be significant or important

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Other Word Forms

• signifiable adjective
• signifier noun
• unsignifiable adjective

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

Example Sentences

Many readers will know what these numbers signify, remarkable achievements that most of us have enjoyed all our lives.

From The Wall Street Journal

But falling between the violin’s soaring brilliance and the cello’s corporeality, the viola also signifies transition.

From Los Angeles Times

But before long the security men hauled in the bodies uncovered, marked with numbers signifying which prison or security branch they had died in, along with a number assigned to them.

From The Wall Street Journal

The arrangement signifies a shift in power dynamics, as Google currently pays Apple an estimated $20 billion annually.

From Barron's

Cue the race to be seen as a power user, which signifies being one of the humans getting the most out of new technology.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• add up to
• bespeak
• convey
• imply
• manifest
• portend
• proclaim
• represent
• spell
• stand for
• suggest
• symbolize