signify
Americanverb (used with object)
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signifies,
present (3rd person singular)
-
signified,
past participle, past
-
signifying
present participle
verb (used without object)
-
signifies,
present (3rd person singular)
-
signified,
past participle, past
-
signifying
present participle
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:
After audience members have chosen cards from a pack, he turns each card into a joker, which he uses to signify “lack of freedom.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
At least three people, including Robinson’s mom and Banks’ wife, have bodyguards in tow, some of them hulking and one with a tattooed head that bears the letters SOG, to signify “Son of God.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 2, 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
He carries a jeweled box, and as he opens the lid, he lifts his eyes to signify that the box is empty.
From "Ophelia" by Lisa Klein
The clash signifies a significant break in the relationship between Smith and the NABJ, which hosted Smith and live broadcasts of his show at its 2024 and 2025 conventions.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026
A reading above 50 signifies economic growth, while one below 50 indicates contraction.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026
However, the move for airlines stocks—and cruise operators—is still sizable and signifies the next leg up for the sector’s recovery.
From Barron's ● Jun. 15, 2026
The memorial also signifies Pyongyang's willingness to continue military cooperation with Russia "regardless of how the war unfolds".
From BBC ● May 7, 2026
REELTOK: Here's question one: In the Jewish faith, a bar mitzvah signifies the beginning of manhood.
From "Linked" by Gordon Korman
The title is a line from Woody Guthrie’s celebrated song “Deportees,” about the crash, and what it signified in a nation that used and used up its foreign workers, and it ends like this:
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026
Al-Sharaa has forged closer ties with the west since coming to power, particularly the US – signified when he became the first Syrian leader to visit the White House in November last year.
From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026
What he did at those Olympic Games 90 Augusts ago—and what it signified to a world on the verge of a global war that would cancel the Olympics until 1948—still resounds.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 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
We did not know what these things signified.
From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume I: The Pox Party" by M.T. Anderson
As the national market remains stagnant, a shift is underway in many local real-estate markets, signifying a major turning point in the housing market.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 12, 2026
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
At the time, the term “generation gap” loomed large in popular culture, signifying the struggle between the baby boomers and their parents.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 4, 2026
The Nasdaq is up 10% since a recent low 11 days ago, signifying an exit from so-called correction territory.
From Barron's ● Apr. 11, 2026
NOTE.—This suffix, except when signifying an idiom, is found only in words of Greek origin.
From New Word-Analysis by William Swinton
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
