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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
Iran is a signatory to the Chemical Weapons Convention, though Western governments have repeatedly accused the Islamic Republic of violating international norms.
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Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 29 Dec. 2025
Somaliland is looking to become the next signatory of the Abraham Accords.
—David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 26 Dec. 2025
The petition's signatories asked for immediate release of those arrested.
—Somayeh Malekian, ABC News, 21 Dec. 2025
Greer’s remarks will buoy officials in Ottawa and Mexico City, who are gearing up for next year’s high-stakes review of the USMCA, at which point signatories may withdraw.
—Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 19 Dec. 2025
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Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 29 Dec. 2025
Somaliland is looking to become the next signatory of the Abraham Accords.
—David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 26 Dec. 2025
The petition's signatories asked for immediate release of those arrested.
—Somayeh Malekian, ABC News, 21 Dec. 2025
Greer’s remarks will buoy officials in Ottawa and Mexico City, who are gearing up for next year’s high-stakes review of the USMCA, at which point signatories may withdraw.
—Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 19 Dec. 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 7 Jan. 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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