What does "signify" mean?
To create a sign out of something.
Signify
/ˈsɪɡnɪfaɪ/ verb
verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: To create a sign out of something.
- Grammar: signify is listed as verb.
- Nearest alternatives: mean, add up to, adumbrate, amount of.
- Useful contrasts: conceal, downplay, ignore.
- Usage evidence: What you think doesn't signify at all.
How to use "signify"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "signify" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "signify" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "signify" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "signify" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "signify" is acting as verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "mean" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "signify", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Verb
- 1 To create a sign out of something.
- 2 denote or connote wordnet
- 3 To give (something) a meaning or an importance.
- 4 convey or express a meaning wordnet
- 5 To show one’s intentions with a sign etc.; to indicate, announce, or portend.
"I’ll to the king; and signify to him / That thus I have resign’d my charge to you."
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 make known with a word or signal wordnet
- 7 To mean; to betoken.
"Life’s […] a tale / Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, / Signifying nothing."
- 8 To make a difference; to matter (in negative or interrogative expressions).
"To be but in the company of those we love, satisfies us: it does not signify whether we speak to ’em or not, whether we think on them or on indifferent things. To be near ’em is all."
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"What you think doesn't signify at all."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "signify"?
Common synonyms include: mean, add up to, adumbrate, amount of, amount to, amount to something.
How do you use "signify" in a sentence?
What you think doesn't signify at all.
How do you pronounce "signify"?
Pronounced /ˈsɪɡnɪfaɪ/.
Etymology
Inherited from Middle English signifien, from Old French signifier, from Latin significare.