Jump To:

• sign-on
  sign-on

  noun

  the opening salutation, station identification, etc., at the beginning of the broadcast day.
• sign on
  sign on

  verb

  (tr) to hire or employ

sign-on

American  

[sahyn-on, -awn] / ˈsaɪnˌɒn, -ˌɔn /

noun

1. Radio and Television. the opening salutation, station identification, etc., at the beginning of the broadcast day.

2. an act or instance of signing on.

---

sign on British  

verb

1. (tr) to hire or employ

2. (intr) to commit oneself to a job, activity, etc

3. (intr) to register as unemployed with the Department of Social Security

---

sign on Idioms  

1. Enlist oneself as an employee, as in Arthur decided to sign on with the new software company . [Late 1800s]

2. Begin radio or television broadcasting, especially at the beginning of the day, as in What time does the station sign on? [c. 1920]

---

Etymology

Origin of sign-on

First recorded in 1880–85; noun use of verb phrase sign on

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

sign-on sign on

The organization has tripled sign-on bonuses to $6,000 and enlisted employment agencies that charge a premium to provide personnel, he said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026

To offset lost compensation from Pfizer, Nike will also pay him a one-time cash sign-on bonus of $7.25 million.

From Barron's ● Jun. 24, 2026

Koepka won $34.3 million in prize money during his time at LIV, which is separate from his undisclosed sign-on fee.

From MarketWatch ● Jan. 12, 2026

Across the 2023-24 season, Liverpool closed 100,000 fake accounts, and believe new preventative measures including multi-factor authentication, single sign-on and the implementation of more advanced fraud analysis tools, have made a difference.

From BBC ● Sep. 25, 2025

There were no idle keels swinging the tides in harbour for want of profitable employment; no seamen lounging on the dockside streets awaiting a 'sight' to sign-on for a voyage.

From Merchantmen-at-arms : the British merchants' service in the war by David W. (David William) Bone

Ontario Premier Doug Ford has hit back at Donald Trump by installing a large sign on Canada's shoreline with the message: "Lake Ontario. Now and Always."

From BBC ● Aug. 30, 2026

Mr. Torrez may also be less willing to sign on since earlier this year he won $942 million against Meta in state court, though the company is appealing.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026

Often I’d sign on to read the takes of sharp commenters over the writers who provided the digital parlor.

From Salon ● Aug. 23, 2026

You have a “no AI” sign on the Kickstarter page.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026

“Well, probably better not. Why probe old wounds? And you’re not particularly like her. She painted that sign on the library door. Come on, then, or you'll miss this show of yours.”

From "Inkheart" by Cornelia Funke

Related Words

• admit
• appoint
• assign
• attract
• call up
• conscript
• employ
• engage
• enroll
• enter
• gather
• hire
• join
• mobilize
• recruit
• serve
• volunteer