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A signatory puts his or her signature on a document that is also signed by others. In 1215 the English barons revolted against King John and forced him to join them as a signatory to the Magna Carta. This agreement stated the barons' own duties to the King but also assigned the barons clear rights and limited the King's power over them. Though the Magna Carta did nothing for the common people, it's often been called the first step toward democracy in the English-speaking countries.
Examples of signatory in a Sentence
a signatory of the Declaration of Independence
Recent Examples on the Web
The signatories also asked for those efforts to continue and standards be maintained.
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Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 23 May 2025
The 141 signatories on the letter include academic institutions such as Cornell University and Georgetown Law’s Center on Privacy and Technology, and advocacy groups such as the Southern Poverty Law Center and the Economic Policy Institute.
—Clare Duffy, CNN Money, 19 May 2025
Among various arguments, such groups complain that such a scheme would likely violate humanitarian and refugee conventions the U.K. is signatory to, and would represent an abdication of the country’s obligations.
—Frey Lindsay, Forbes.com, 15 May 2025
Several signatories cited his work in speeches ahead of the agreement.
—Mark Gongloff, Mercury News, 11 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for signatory
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Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 23 May 2025
The 141 signatories on the letter include academic institutions such as Cornell University and Georgetown Law’s Center on Privacy and Technology, and advocacy groups such as the Southern Poverty Law Center and the Economic Policy Institute.
—Clare Duffy, CNN Money, 19 May 2025
Among various arguments, such groups complain that such a scheme would likely violate humanitarian and refugee conventions the U.K. is signatory to, and would represent an abdication of the country’s obligations.
—Frey Lindsay, Forbes.com, 15 May 2025
Several signatories cited his work in speeches ahead of the agreement.
—Mark Gongloff, Mercury News, 11 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for signatory
Cite this Entry
“Signatory.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/signatory. Accessed 3 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLegal Definition
signatory
noun
sig·na·to·ry
ˈsig-nə-ˌtōr-ē 
plural signatories
: a signer with another or others
signatories to a petition
especially
: a government bound with others by a signed convention
signatory
adjective
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