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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
The committee released an initial statement with 35 signatories.
—
Kathy M. Newman, The Conversation, 8 Oct. 2025
Grijalva has pledged to back that effort and would be the 218th and final signatory needed for a petition to force that vote, joining Democrats and some Republicans.
—Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Oct. 2025
This time around, the signatories feature a range of talent like Ben Stiller, Helen Mirren, Spike Lee, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Larry David, Natalie Portman, Nicolas Cage and Nikki Glaser.
—Chris Yogerst, HollywoodReporter, 6 Oct. 2025
Another signatory is actor Fran Drescher, who last month ended a term as the president of the SAG-AFTRA union, whose membership includes NPR's journalists.
—Anastasia Tsioulcas, NPR, 1 Oct. 2025
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Kathy M. Newman, The Conversation, 8 Oct. 2025
Grijalva has pledged to back that effort and would be the 218th and final signatory needed for a petition to force that vote, joining Democrats and some Republicans.
—Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Oct. 2025
This time around, the signatories feature a range of talent like Ben Stiller, Helen Mirren, Spike Lee, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Larry David, Natalie Portman, Nicolas Cage and Nikki Glaser.
—Chris Yogerst, HollywoodReporter, 6 Oct. 2025
Another signatory is actor Fran Drescher, who last month ended a term as the president of the SAG-AFTRA union, whose membership includes NPR's journalists.
—Anastasia Tsioulcas, NPR, 1 Oct. 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 14 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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