signatory

noun

sig·​na·​to·​ry ˈsig-nə-ˌtȯr-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

Did you know?

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

Recent Examples on the Web

But critics note that many signatories have moved slowly in fulfilling those commitments. —Preston Fore, Fortune, 6 Feb. 2026

Two other signatories who weren’t involved in the film, Abdollah Momeni and Vida Rabbani, were also arrested. —Yohana Desta, Vanity Fair, 5 Feb. 2026

And there were many, many statements and open letters and signatories on statements by writers and artists who were against the free-trade agreement. —David Frum, The Atlantic, 4 Feb. 2026

Many of the signatories have left messages crediting peptides with improving their health. —Sara Talpos — Undark, STAT, 3 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Latin signatorius of sealing, from signare

First Known Use

1826, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for signatory

• allegory
• amatory
• auditory
• category
• clerestory
• crematory
• desultory
• dilatory
• dormitory
• excretory
• extempore
• feudatory

Legal 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