signifier
noun
sig·ni·fi·er
ˈsig-nə-ˌfī(-ə)r 
Examples of signifier in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Blazers remained a mainstay for him, this staple has always served as a signifier of his chic appearance.
—
Robyn Mowatt, Essence, 10 Apr. 2024
Indeed, country signifiers are creeping into the popular zeitgeist.
—Dr. Marcus Collins, Forbes, 16 Feb. 2024
If a Veblen good suddenly declines in price, demand increases in the short term, as people rush to access status signifiers that would have previously been out of reach for them.
—Amanda Mull, The Atlantic, 7 Feb. 2024
To the thrumming of action-film music, black cars arrive carrying men in black trenchcoats — clothing, as a signifier of station, contributes to the story — to shut him down.
—Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 6 Apr. 2024
Each storyteller is identified by a single signifier—Eurovision, the Lady with the Rings—and the stories that the speakers unwind (in a way properly reminiscent of the Decameron itself) leap wildly off topic, with the morals of their tales and the pandemic itself almost invisible.
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 19 Feb. 2024
But what Tenenbaum is exploring in her writing is the idea that love isn’t confined to the kinds of relationships that tend to be signifiers of social status.
—Hannah Giorgis, The Atlantic, 12 Mar. 2024
Walkmen, camcorders, VHS tapes, pixelated videos of Bill Clinton and other signifiers of that period are deployed with the deftness of a cultural insider.
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Mar. 2024
Simpson was also slightly suspicious of Hoover on account of the volume of beadwork and Native American signifiers that she was known to wear.
—Jay Caspian Kang, The New Yorker, 26 Feb. 2024
Robyn Mowatt, Essence, 10 Apr. 2024
Indeed, country signifiers are creeping into the popular zeitgeist.
—Dr. Marcus Collins, Forbes, 16 Feb. 2024
If a Veblen good suddenly declines in price, demand increases in the short term, as people rush to access status signifiers that would have previously been out of reach for them.
—Amanda Mull, The Atlantic, 7 Feb. 2024
To the thrumming of action-film music, black cars arrive carrying men in black trenchcoats — clothing, as a signifier of station, contributes to the story — to shut him down.
—Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 6 Apr. 2024
Each storyteller is identified by a single signifier—Eurovision, the Lady with the Rings—and the stories that the speakers unwind (in a way properly reminiscent of the Decameron itself) leap wildly off topic, with the morals of their tales and the pandemic itself almost invisible.
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 19 Feb. 2024
But what Tenenbaum is exploring in her writing is the idea that love isn’t confined to the kinds of relationships that tend to be signifiers of social status.
—Hannah Giorgis, The Atlantic, 12 Mar. 2024
Walkmen, camcorders, VHS tapes, pixelated videos of Bill Clinton and other signifiers of that period are deployed with the deftness of a cultural insider.
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Mar. 2024
Simpson was also slightly suspicious of Hoover on account of the volume of beadwork and Native American signifiers that she was known to wear.
—Jay Caspian Kang, The New Yorker, 26 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'signifier.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near signifier
Cite this Entry
“Signifier.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/signifier. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.
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