Signify

How to spell signify

7 letters · 3 syllables

How to pronounce signify

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does signify mean?

1. verbTo be a sign or indication of something, or to make something known.

Signify in a sentence

• A red flag on the beach can signify dangerous currents.

• A nod from the chair would signify that the motion had passed.

Where does signify come from?

Language of origin: Latin

The word descends from the Latin verb significare, which meant 'to make a sign' or 'to indicate', built from signum, meaning 'a mark, token, or sign', and the verb facere, meaning 'to make or do'. So at its root signify literally means 'to make a sign'. English took it in during the 1200s through Old French signifier, where it already carried the sense of meaning or indicating something. The same signum sits behind a whole family of familiar words, including 'sign', 'signal', 'signature', and 'design', which is a useful reminder that the spelling keeps the 'sign' intact even though the 'g' goes silent in 'sign' yet is pronounced in 'signify'. Over the centuries the word broadened from making a literal mark to expressing or denoting meaning in general, which is its everyday sense today.

How the word is built

• sign- (from Latin signum: a mark or token)
• -ify (verb-forming suffix: to make or do)