signifier

noun

sig·​ni·​fi·​er ˈsig-nə-ˌfī(-ə)r How to pronounce signifier (audio)
1
: one that signifies
2
: a symbol, sound, or image (such as a word) that represents an underlying concept or meaning compare signified entry 1

Examples of signifier in a Sentence

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The work is tacky in signifiers, excruciating in implication. — Eugenie Brinkema, ARTnews.com, 17 Oct. 2026 When India gained independence in 1947, Deco was a convenient signifier of modernity writ large, and its influence continued. — Sarah Medford, Architectural Digest, 14 Oct. 2026 The dehumanization of Black people represented by the persistence of Confederate iconography in mainstream culture became an underground signifier of the precariousness of the freedoms enshrined by the 14th Amendment. — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 10 Oct. 2026 Lioness has always been a mess of contradictory political signifiers and anachronistic pop-cultural touchpoints, amounting to a 20th-century-style espionage adventure wrapped in 21st-century military-industrial dystopia. — Andy Andersen, Vulture, 20 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for signifier

Word History

First Known Use

1532, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of signifier was in 1532

Rhymes for signifier

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Browse Nearby Words

signified
signifier
signify
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Cite this Entry

“Signifier.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/signifier. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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