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A signatory puts his or her signature on a document that is also signed by others. In 1215 the English barons revolted against King John and forced him to join them as a signatory to the Magna Carta. This agreement stated the barons' own duties to the King but also assigned the barons clear rights and limited the King's power over them. Though the Magna Carta did nothing for the common people, it's often been called the first step toward democracy in the English-speaking countries.
Examples of signatory in a Sentence
a signatory of the Declaration of Independence
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More Hossein Beris/Getty Images What To Know The signatory nations accused Iran of systematically targeting journalists, dissidents, and current and former government officials—particularly those critical of the regime—in a coordinated campaign of violence and intimidation.
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Amir Daftari, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Aug. 2025
The other signatories are Reps. Greg Casar (TX), Veronica Escobar (TX), Lloyd Doggett (TX), Al Green (TX), Mark Pocan (WI), Jared Huffman (CA), Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ), Pramila Jayapal (WA), Maxwell Frost (FL), and Jim McGovern (MA), according to the Hill.
—David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 1 Aug. 2025
On July 4, 1776, 56 signatories to the Declaration of Independence signed their death warrants to secure unalienable rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness through, among other things, government by the consent of the governed.
—Bruce Fein, Baltimore Sun, 31 July 2025
The signatories of the letter have also asked Mubi to adhere to calls made by Film Workers for Palestine — an international collective that claims to represents more than 9,000 industry workers — to take these three steps.
—Alex Ritman, Variety, 30 July 2025
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Amir Daftari, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Aug. 2025
The other signatories are Reps. Greg Casar (TX), Veronica Escobar (TX), Lloyd Doggett (TX), Al Green (TX), Mark Pocan (WI), Jared Huffman (CA), Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ), Pramila Jayapal (WA), Maxwell Frost (FL), and Jim McGovern (MA), according to the Hill.
—David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 1 Aug. 2025
On July 4, 1776, 56 signatories to the Declaration of Independence signed their death warrants to secure unalienable rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness through, among other things, government by the consent of the governed.
—Bruce Fein, Baltimore Sun, 31 July 2025
The signatories of the letter have also asked Mubi to adhere to calls made by Film Workers for Palestine — an international collective that claims to represents more than 9,000 industry workers — to take these three steps.
—Alex Ritman, Variety, 30 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for signatory
Cite this Entry
“Signatory.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/signatory. Accessed 8 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLegal Definition
signatory
noun
sig·na·to·ry
ˈsig-nə-ˌtōr-ē 
plural signatories
: a signer with another or others
signatories to a petition
especially
: a government bound with others by a signed convention
signatory
adjective
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