as in meaning
the idea that is conveyed or intended to be conveyed to the mind by language, symbol, or action
we should assume that the author is using the word in its ordinary signification
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Recent Examples of signification
More Samuel Corum/Getty Images The final version of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed into law by President Donald Trump on July 4, contains signification revisions and rescissions to clean energy grant programs enacted as part of the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).
—
Hugh Cameron, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 July 2025
William is studying Henry Louis Gates, Jr., and writing a thesis on the theory of signification.
—Cressida Leyshon, The New Yorker, 15 Jan. 2024
What once had been a multitude of beings with varying cultural and spiritual significations—not to mention consciousnesses of their own—became commodities that held value only when inserted into a by-now self-propelling and endlessly expanding market.
—Ben Ehrenreich, The New Republic, 10 May 2023
The apartment signs of L.A. announce location through flair, decadence, strangeness, absurdity, signification.
—Los Angeles Times, 18 May 2022
But oranges, which were a delicacy that Leonardo may have seen firsthand at the table of the Duke of Milan, bore significance in the history of painting beyond their signification of luxury.
—Jonathon Keats, Forbes, 21 Apr. 2021
On March 25, the agency warned Pfizer (PFE) of signification violations at its Hospira facility in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, which makes sterile injectable medicines.
—Ed Silverman, STAT, 1 Apr. 2020
Location accuracy improved from there on out, with a signification portion of the data from the remainder of the experiment being within three miles of the craft’s true location.
—Amber Jorgenson, Discover Magazine, 16 Jan. 2018
Hugh Cameron, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 July 2025
William is studying Henry Louis Gates, Jr., and writing a thesis on the theory of signification.
—Cressida Leyshon, The New Yorker, 15 Jan. 2024
What once had been a multitude of beings with varying cultural and spiritual significations—not to mention consciousnesses of their own—became commodities that held value only when inserted into a by-now self-propelling and endlessly expanding market.
—Ben Ehrenreich, The New Republic, 10 May 2023
The apartment signs of L.A. announce location through flair, decadence, strangeness, absurdity, signification.
—Los Angeles Times, 18 May 2022
But oranges, which were a delicacy that Leonardo may have seen firsthand at the table of the Duke of Milan, bore significance in the history of painting beyond their signification of luxury.
—Jonathon Keats, Forbes, 21 Apr. 2021
On March 25, the agency warned Pfizer (PFE) of signification violations at its Hospira facility in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, which makes sterile injectable medicines.
—Ed Silverman, STAT, 1 Apr. 2020
Location accuracy improved from there on out, with a signification portion of the data from the remainder of the experiment being within three miles of the craft’s true location.
—Amber Jorgenson, Discover Magazine, 16 Jan. 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for signification
Noun
-
While the fate of our Universe may be beyond us to control, the ability to give meaning to our own lives lies within each of us.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
20 Feb. 2026
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My parents have both passed away, and my birthday has always been a cherished day, filled with memories and meaning.—
Abigail Van Buren,
Boston Herald,
19 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Staying here gives you a genuine sense of the city.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
22 Feb. 2026
-
Kamaru’s album, unlike more conventionally soothing strains of ambient music, reflected that thrumming sense of disquiet.—
Philip Sherburne,
Pitchfork,
21 Feb. 2026
Noun
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As far as the historical significance of the game, the 16-point home defeat was only surpassed (in the Self era) by a 25-point loss to Texas in 2021, 23-point loss to TCU in 2023 and 18-point loss to Kentucky in 2022.—
Gary Bedore,
Kansas City Star,
21 Feb. 2026
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What is the significance, or importance, of doing this?—
Lisa Deaderick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
21 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.—
Suzanne Gamboa,
NBC news,
24 Feb. 2026
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Ramirez said the suspect then drove the ambulance to a nearby parking lot, loaded at least two gas jugs and a plastic bag into the vehicle and then drove the ambulance through the front doors of a nearby office building before getting out and pouring the contents of the jugs on the lobby floor.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
24 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The city’s best fashion boutiques are on your doorstep, decent coffee is a hop and a skip away, and behind the hotel doors is a bold aesthetic that doesn’t shy away from its intention.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
24 Feb. 2026
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The uncertainty with the Pentagon is putting those intentions to the test, according to Owen Daniels, associate director of analysis and fellow at Georgetown University’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology.—
David Klepper,
Fortune,
24 Feb. 2026
Noun
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For Black artists — particularly the two Black actors standing on a global stage — hearing it in that setting, and then watching it be broadcast into homes, turned into a meme and shared on social media, carries a weight that does not disappear simply because the source lacked intent.—
Clayton Davis,
Variety,
23 Feb. 2026
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Punch’s mother, a first-time mom, did not care for him after his birth, so he was raised by two humans at the Ichikawa City Zoo with the intent of reintroducing him to the zoo’s troop of macaques, a process that seems to have started in January.—
Elizabeth Logan,
Glamour,
23 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Signification.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/signification. Accessed 26 Feb. 2026.
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