Meaning of sign In English

• 0 to write your name, usually on a written or printed document, to show that you agree with its contents or have written or created it yourself:

  • to sign a letter/cheque/contract/lease/agreement

  • Sign here, please.

  • He signed his name at the end of the letter.

  • [ + obj + noun ] He signed himself "Mark Taylor".

  • She said the painting was by Picasso, but it wasn't signed.

  • The team has just signed a new player.

• 1 to give an order or information, or make a request, using hand and body movements:

  • [ + to infinitive ] He signed for/to the waiter to bring him another drink.

  • [ + that ] He signed to the waiter that he wanted another drink.

• 2 a notice giving information, directions, a warning, etc.:

  • a road sign

  • a shop sign

• 3 a movement of the body that gives information or an instruction:

  • She pointed to her watch as a sign that it was getting late and she wanted to leave.

  • He made/gave a sign to his boyfriend to stop talking.

  • The priest made the sign of the cross (= made the shape of a cross by moving his hand between four points on his chest) when he entered the church.

• 4 something showing that something else exists or might happen or exist in the future:

  • His inability to handle the situation is a sure sign of weakness.

  • [ + that ] The fact that he's eating more is a sign that he's feeling better.

  • I've searched for my hat, but there's no sign of it anywhere (= I can't find it).

  • There was no sign of life in the building (= there seemed to be no one in it).

  • Billy's work at school has shown signs of improvement this year.

  • There is every sign that/All the signs are that the worst is over.

• 5 a written or printed mark that has a standard meaning:

  • + and - are mathematical signs.

  • £ is the sign for the British pound.

• 6 a written or printed mark that has a standard meaning:

  • The symbol for subtraction is the minus sign.

• 7 a device that gives information to people who see it:

  • a stop sign

  • A neon sign marked the entrance to the parking garage.

• 8 a movement of the hands or body that gives information or an instruction:

  • He kept giving me the cut-throat sign to end the speech.

• 9 a signal that something exists or that shows what might happen in the future:

  • She was at least sharing her problems with me, and that was a sign of progress.

  • There was nobody in the place, and I thought that was a bad sign.

  • There are signs that he is thinking of running for president.

• 10 to write your name on a document to show that you agree with it or that you have written it yourself:

  • [ T ] to sign a letter/contract/check

  • [ I ] Please sign for the package when it arrives (= write your name on a form to show that you have received it).

  • [ T ] The team signed four new players this week.

• 11 to communicate by using hand movements:

  • [ + that clause ] He signed that he’d be ready in five minutes.

• 12 to write your name, usually on a written or printed document, for example to show that you agree with its contents or have written or created it yourself:

  • sign a contract/agreement/declaration We've already agreed the details and I just need to sign a contract.

  • sign a letter/form/cheque

  • Please sign your name below if you are available to help.

  • Sign here please.

• 13 finished and official because all the necessary documents have been signed:

  • The project can start now that the contract has been signed and sealed.

• 14 to agree to do something, especially by signing an agreement:

  • Many people sign on the dotted line without reading their policy documents.

• 15 a flat object giving information, directions, a warning, etc.:

  • The store had a handwritten sign in the window.

  • A sign advertising the closing-down sale was clearly visible from the road.

  • road/shop/street signs

• 16 a written or printed mark that has a standard meaning:

  • + is the plus sign and % is the percentage sign.

• 17 something that shows that something else exists or might happen or exist in the future:

  • a sign of sth His inability to handle the situation is a sure sign of weakness.

  • a sign that There are signs that the economy is improving

  • Neither side is showing signs of backing down.

  • All the signs are that the worst is over.