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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The letter asks for openness at the model layer, which is the one layer where almost no signatory keeps its moat. Sandy Carter, Forbes.com, 26 July 2026 Eno—who has made millions during a career pioneering ambient music and producing artists from David Bowie to U2—is among the list of signatories. Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 24 July 2026 The original text of the Ramsar Convention was adopted on February 2, 1971, with 18 signatories. Encyclopedia Britannica, 24 July 2026 The signatories cited 2025 Karachi EPZ data, which indicated imports from the United States alone reached a quarter of a billion dollars for further processing and value addition. Jasmin Malik Chua, Footwear News, 23 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for signatory

Word History

Etymology

Latin signatorius of sealing, from signare

First Known Use

1826, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of signatory was in 1826

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Signatory.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/signatory. Accessed 29 Jul. 2026.

Legal Definition

signatory

noun
plural signatories
: a signer with another or others
signatories to a petition
especially : a government bound with others by a signed convention
signatory adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on signatory

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster