signifier

noun

sig·​ni·​fi·​er ˈsig-nə-ˌfī(-ə)r 

1

: one that signifies

2

: a symbol, sound, or image (such as a word) that represents an underlying concept or meaning compare signified

Examples of signifier in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The 1990s saw the introduction into her assemblages of new, meaningful objects, chief among them the washboard, signifier of domestic labor. — News Desk, Artforum, 28 July 2026

Above all, the overwrought thirty-two-dollar packet of luxury strikes a discordant note in a restaurant that seems, in every other way, to have no need for such clunky signifiers. — Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 26 July 2026

Chanel became a key signifier for Anna, who’s often seen wearing a pair of baby blue boots by the brand, and whose bright orange and pink tweed dress echoes the intensity of the action at the film’s finale. — CNN Money, 17 July 2026

Once a signifier of unsanctioned parties, the word rave has never been more ubiquitous. — Kiana Mickles, Pitchfork, 15 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1532, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for signifier

• acquire
• attire
• bonfire
• campfire
• ceasefire
• conspire
• desire
• enquire
• entire
• greenbrier
• gunfire
• homebuyer