signify

verb

sig·​ni·​fy ˈsig-nə-ˌfī 

signified; signifying

transitive verb

1

a

: to be a sign of : mean

b

: imply

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

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".

Synonyms

• count
• import
• matter
• mean
• weigh

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 on the Web

In an age of constant disruption and rising expectations, this mindset—grounded in leadership rather than solely in systems—could signify the ultimate competitive advantage. —David Nour, Forbes.com, 31 Mar. 2025

Lastly, a Delta value near 0 signifies that the put option is out-of-the-money and will exhibit virtually no price sensitivity to movements in the underlying asset. —Michael Khouw, CNBC, 31 Mar. 2025

Placing lights on graves signifies everlasting life and an expression of hope. —Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Mar. 2025

The steak dinner happened two days later, and one of the co-conspirators got a special gift from the rappers — a custom gold chain that included a sniper’s crosshairs with two X marks over it to signify Senior was killed, prosecutors allege. —John Annese, New York Daily News, 26 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English signifien, from Anglo-French signifier, from Latin significare to indicate, signify, from signum sign

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Rhymes for signify

• abscissae
• alibi
• alkali
• alumni
• amoebae
• amplify
• annuli
• beautify
• brachii
• butterfly
• calculi
• certify

Kids Definition

signify

verb

sig·​ni·​fy ˈsig-nə-ˌfī 

signified; signifying

1

: mean entry 2 sense 2, denote

2

: to show especially by a sign : make known

signified their agreement by nodding

3

: to have importance : matter

doesn't signify much what you wear