signify

[ sig-nuh-fahy ]
See synonyms for: signifysignifiedsignifiessignifying on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object),sig·ni·fied, sig·ni·fy·ing.
  1. to make known by signs, speech, or action.

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

verb (used without object),sig·ni·fied, sig·ni·fy·ing.
  1. to be of importance or consequence.

Origin of signify

1
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

Other words for signify

Other words from signify

  • sig·ni·fi·a·ble, adjective
  • un·sig·ni·fi·a·ble, adjective

Words Nearby signify

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How to use signify in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for signify

signify

/ (ˈsɪɡnɪˌfaɪ) /


verb-fies, -fying or -fied (when tr, may take a clause as object)
  1. (tr) to indicate, show, or suggest

  2. (tr) to imply or portend: the clouds signified the coming storm

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

  2. (intr) informal to be significant or important

Origin of signify

1
C13: from Old French signifier, from Latin significāre, from signum a sign, mark + facere to make

Derived forms of signify

  • signifiable, adjective
  • signifier, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012