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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 Cannes Film Festival is attached to freedom of expression — that of the petition’s signatories as well as that of Canal+ and Maxime Saada.
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Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 4 June 2026
Also among the signatories are 39 artists representing their countries, including Denmark (Maja Malou Lyse, Chus Martínez, and Commons Accounts), Britain’s Lubaina Himid, and Austria’s Florentina Holzinger, all among the star national pavilions.
—Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 3 June 2026
Both GardaWorld and Viking Security are signatories to a master labor agreement with SEIU Local 26 governing the rights of security workers at 10 companies that operate throughout the seven-county metro.
—Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 2 June 2026
However, an announcement by Canal+ Chair and CEO Maxime Saada that his group would no longer work with the letter’s initial 600 signatories has sparked widespread condemnation across the film industry at home and internationally.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 27 May 2026
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Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 4 June 2026
Also among the signatories are 39 artists representing their countries, including Denmark (Maja Malou Lyse, Chus Martínez, and Commons Accounts), Britain’s Lubaina Himid, and Austria’s Florentina Holzinger, all among the star national pavilions.
—Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 3 June 2026
Both GardaWorld and Viking Security are signatories to a master labor agreement with SEIU Local 26 governing the rights of security workers at 10 companies that operate throughout the seven-county metro.
—Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 2 June 2026
However, an announcement by Canal+ Chair and CEO Maxime Saada that his group would no longer work with the letter’s initial 600 signatories has sparked widespread condemnation across the film industry at home and internationally.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 27 May 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 9 Jun. 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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