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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
That night catalyzed CanLit Responds, an authors’ initiative that ultimately led to the Giller Boycott, which has drawn over 450 Canadian authors and publishing workers as signatories.
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Literary Hub
september 26, Literary Hub, 26 Sep. 2025
Former Fed governor Dan Tarullo is also listed as a signatory to the brief, as well as the economists Ken Rogoff, Phil Gramm and John Cochrane.
—Steve Kopack, NBC news, 25 Sep. 2025
Trump has long criticized Biden's use of the autopen, a routine method of executing official documents when signatories are unable to sign them.
—Lalee Ibssa, ABC News, 24 Sep. 2025
The list of signatories also includes Ariana DeBose, Jane Fonda, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Regina King, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Diego Luna, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Natalie Portman, among others.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 22 Sep. 2025
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Literary Hub
september 26, Literary Hub, 26 Sep. 2025
Former Fed governor Dan Tarullo is also listed as a signatory to the brief, as well as the economists Ken Rogoff, Phil Gramm and John Cochrane.
—Steve Kopack, NBC news, 25 Sep. 2025
Trump has long criticized Biden's use of the autopen, a routine method of executing official documents when signatories are unable to sign them.
—Lalee Ibssa, ABC News, 24 Sep. 2025
The list of signatories also includes Ariana DeBose, Jane Fonda, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Regina King, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Diego Luna, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Natalie Portman, among others.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 22 Sep. 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 2 Oct. 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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