as in indicative
indicating something
his tendency to use weasel words is seen as a signifying character trait
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in meaning
to be of importance
never mind, as the color of the room doesn't signify in the least
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in denoting
to communicate or convey (as an idea) to the mind
the symbol failed to signify anything to me—until I realized that it was upside down
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in indicating
to serve as a sign or symptom of
the opening of the new mall signifies the city's overdue emergence from economic depression
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of signifying
Angie Leventis Lourgos, Chicago Tribune, 8 May 2026
At our wedding, my husband and I stood under a chuppah—a wedding canopy signifying the new home a Jewish couple will create together—that my mom crafted from a lace tablecloth her grandmother had sewn.
—Literary Hub, 6 May 2026
Though embedded in society, these young characters are Kaspar Hauser-like figures, spectrally isolated from the signifying world, forced to construct meaning for themselves, from the ground up.
—James Wood, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
The mislabeling of President Andrew Jackson’s portrait is just one of the telltale signs signifying that some bills getting passed around in Greater Boston are movie props and not legal tender.
—Flint McColgan, Boston Herald, 24 Apr. 2026
Painted pink since 1918 (signifying peace at the end of World War I), the ‘Nellie’ is Cape Town’s ‘grande dame’, and dates back to 1899.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Apr. 2026
In 2024, Fitzpatrick won reelection by nearly 13 percentage points, up from less than nine in his first election in 2016, signifying security in a historically swing-happy region, built through a meticulously moderate voting history.
—Zak Hudak, CBS News, 22 Apr. 2026
Gaps between research and product As 420 – signifying April 20, a day celebrating cannabis culture – approaches each year, public attention turns toward the legal status of cannabis.
—Lucy Xiaolu Wang, The Conversation, 13 Apr. 2026
Other stars such as Ayesha and Steph Curry, Zendaya and Tom Holland and Chrissy Teigen and John Legend have also gotten tattoos signifying special moments in their love stories, such as initials, their children's names and symbols of their union.
—Stephanie Sengwe, PEOPLE, 12 Apr. 2026
Verb
Pope Leo in December appointed Joliet Bishop Ronald Hicks as archbishop of New York, signifying a move to a more pastoral and missionary-inspired leadership in one of the largest archdiocese in the nation.
—Angie Leventis Lourgos, Chicago Tribune, 8 May 2026
At our wedding, my husband and I stood under a chuppah—a wedding canopy signifying the new home a Jewish couple will create together—that my mom crafted from a lace tablecloth her grandmother had sewn.
—Literary Hub, 6 May 2026
Though embedded in society, these young characters are Kaspar Hauser-like figures, spectrally isolated from the signifying world, forced to construct meaning for themselves, from the ground up.
—James Wood, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
The mislabeling of President Andrew Jackson’s portrait is just one of the telltale signs signifying that some bills getting passed around in Greater Boston are movie props and not legal tender.
—Flint McColgan, Boston Herald, 24 Apr. 2026
Painted pink since 1918 (signifying peace at the end of World War I), the ‘Nellie’ is Cape Town’s ‘grande dame’, and dates back to 1899.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Apr. 2026
In 2024, Fitzpatrick won reelection by nearly 13 percentage points, up from less than nine in his first election in 2016, signifying security in a historically swing-happy region, built through a meticulously moderate voting history.
—Zak Hudak, CBS News, 22 Apr. 2026
Gaps between research and product As 420 – signifying April 20, a day celebrating cannabis culture – approaches each year, public attention turns toward the legal status of cannabis.
—Lucy Xiaolu Wang, The Conversation, 13 Apr. 2026
Other stars such as Ayesha and Steph Curry, Zendaya and Tom Holland and Chrissy Teigen and John Legend have also gotten tattoos signifying special moments in their love stories, such as initials, their children's names and symbols of their union.
—Stephanie Sengwe, PEOPLE, 12 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for signifying
Adjective
-
Past performance is not indicative of future results.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
18 May 2026
-
The finale was indicative of this.—
Reshma Gopaldas,
IndieWire,
17 May 2026
Verb
-
The Dodgers have played 43 games out of 162, meaning there's just over 73% of the season remaining.—
Ian Miller OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
15 May 2026
-
Dieperink, a Dutchman who had been selected as a VAR official for this summer’s tournament, has said the Metropolitan Police has closed the case, meaning no charges will be brought.—
Dan Sheldon,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
According to Opta’s Power Rankings — denoting the strength of each team — Farke’s side have the easiest run-in of any side fighting to avoid the drop.—
Mark Carey,
New York Times,
11 May 2026
-
The new jet also features 13 stars denoting the 13 original colonies on its fuselage, the main body of an aircraft, and a circle of stars on each engine cowling, or covering, reflecting the original Betsy Ross flag and an America250 decal on the nose and winglet.—
Saman Shafiq,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The New Jersey depot opened in a small unbranded industrial facility in Carlstadt, with municipal records indicating that contractors added storage racks and refrigerators inside.—
Glenn Taylor,
Footwear News,
15 May 2026
-
Officials have said the test taken aboard the ship was likely a false positive, and that the physician does not have antibodies to hantavirus, indicating he was never exposed to or ill with it.—
Rebecca Cohen,
NBC news,
15 May 2026
Adjective
-
The activity is not unlike the way US and Soviet submarines tailed one another in the Cold War, but instead of running silent and running deep, highly reflective satellites easily stand out against the inky blackness of space.—
Stephen Clark,
ArsTechnica,
15 May 2026
-
The room and exhibition were rooted in vibrant yellow and orange hues, reflective of the Kalahari Desert in Southern Africa, believed to be the birthplace of modern humankind.—
Kristen Tauer,
Footwear News,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
The campaign now moves forward with voters weighing sharply different visions for California’s future as the primary draws closer.—
James Ward,
USA Today,
15 May 2026
-
And other states are weighing similar options.—
Wyatte Grantham-Philips,
Chicago Tribune,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
Kreutzer cuts clunkily and repeatedly between the ongoing crises in two households, presumably implying that the men in these women’s lives are all tarred with the same patriarchal brush.—
Stephanie Bunbury,
Deadline,
15 May 2026
-
Both Ju-ran and Un-jeong cough up blood during the final fight, implying that their days may be numbered.—
Kayti Burt,
Time,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
Lajos’s transparent skin, initially so intriguing, does not end up mattering or meaning anything.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 May 2026
-
Lajos’s transparent skin, initially so intriguing, does not end up mattering or meaning anything.—
Becca Rothfeld,
New Yorker,
23 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Signifying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/signifying. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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