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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
Recent Examples on the Web
Vaishnaw said the final draft would be released on Saturday, along with a full list of signatories.
—
Billy Perrigo, Time, 20 Feb. 2026
See the full letter and list of signatories below.
—William Earl, Variety, 17 Feb. 2026
Three of the signatories to the 1776 Declaration of Independence were born on the island of Ireland, and many others were of Irish descent, while the first person to print the Declaration of Independence was John Dunlap from County Tyrone.
—Brian Cahalane, Chicago Tribune, 17 Feb. 2026
Other signatories include Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi and Nasrin Sotoudeh, winner of the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 17 Feb. 2026
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Billy Perrigo, Time, 20 Feb. 2026
See the full letter and list of signatories below.
—William Earl, Variety, 17 Feb. 2026
Three of the signatories to the 1776 Declaration of Independence were born on the island of Ireland, and many others were of Irish descent, while the first person to print the Declaration of Independence was John Dunlap from County Tyrone.
—Brian Cahalane, Chicago Tribune, 17 Feb. 2026
Other signatories include Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi and Nasrin Sotoudeh, winner of the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 17 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for signatory
Cite this Entry
“Signatory.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/signatory. Accessed 24 Feb. 2026.
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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