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Definition of signify
signified
;signifying
transitive verb
2 : to show especially by a conventional token (such as word, signal, or gesture)
intransitive verb
1 : to have significance : matter it will not much signify what one wears — Jane Austen
2 : to engage in signifying
People Are Reading
Examples of signify in a Sentence
A check mark next to your name signifies that you have met all the requirements.
The recent decline of the stock market does not necessarily signify the start of a recession.
He gave her a diamond ring to signify his love.
Whether he agrees or not does not signify.
Recent Examples of signify from the Web
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Parents will give the eighth graders beaded necklaces signifying their clans and the younger students will give them presents.
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Richardson has filed the paperwork signifying his exploration.
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Pritchard also said dealing George wouldn't necessarily signify that the team was beginning its rebuilding process.
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Each chair has three feet — a device often used by artists to signify movement.
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At the end of each lap, racers will blow up a balloon to help signify healthy lungs, Littell said.
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Double-red flags are up in Gulf Shores, Orange Beach, Destin, Panama City and along the Florida Panhandle, signifying the water is off limits.
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The numbers haven’t signified a trend yet, Fimbres said, though investigators believe several recent Fort Worth homicides have been drug-related, including a shooting that left two dead and five injured in southeast Fort Worth on June 9.
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Before even the ’Aints era, when the fans would put paper bags over their heads to signify their dissatisfaction yet would still show up religiously.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'signify'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Did You Know?
Signify basically means "to make a sign or signal". One of its synonyms is indicate; the index finger is the finger you point with, so to indicate is essentially to point to something. Significant means "important" and significance means "importance;" similarly, insignificant means "unimportant" and insignificance means "lack of importance".
Origin and Etymology of signify
Middle English signifien, from Anglo-French signifier, from Latin significare to indicate, signify, from signum sign
SIGNIFY Defined for English Language Learners
signify
playDefinition of signify for English Language Learners
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: to be a sign of (something) : to mean (something)
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: to show (your feelings, intentions, opinions, etc.) by doing something
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: to have importance
SIGNIFY Defined for Kids
Learn More about signify
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See words that rhyme with signify Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for signify Spanish Central: Translation of signify Nglish: Translation of signify for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of signify for Arabic speakers
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