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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
Interestingly — or ironically — all 15 signatories voted less than a year ago for the legislation that empowered the air board to draft the revisions, which were released in January and are due to be finalized in May.
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Dan Walters, Mercury News, 18 Mar. 2026
The signatories represent more than thirty countries.
—News Desk, Artforum, 18 Mar. 2026
There are only a few signatories from the David Geffen School of Medicine, where several Jewish faculty have complained of antisemitic incidents.
—Jaweed Kaleem, Los Angeles Times, 17 Mar. 2026
The letter’s signatories included Amy Eilberg, the first woman to be ordained by the Conservative movement; Irving Greenberg, the the prominent Modern Orthodox rabbi, and David Wolpe, the rabbi emeritus of Sinai Temple in Los Angeles.
—Grace Gilson, Sun Sentinel, 16 Mar. 2026
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Dan Walters, Mercury News, 18 Mar. 2026
The signatories represent more than thirty countries.
—News Desk, Artforum, 18 Mar. 2026
There are only a few signatories from the David Geffen School of Medicine, where several Jewish faculty have complained of antisemitic incidents.
—Jaweed Kaleem, Los Angeles Times, 17 Mar. 2026
The letter’s signatories included Amy Eilberg, the first woman to be ordained by the Conservative movement; Irving Greenberg, the the prominent Modern Orthodox rabbi, and David Wolpe, the rabbi emeritus of Sinai Temple in Los Angeles.
—Grace Gilson, Sun Sentinel, 16 Mar. 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 27 Mar. 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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