Meanings
plural signifiers
- Something or someone that signifies, makes something more significant or important.
If commentators have concurred on the characterization of Reagan as a synecdoche, they have also noted his status as a signifier.
2008, Diane Rubenstein, This is Not a President: Sense, Nonsense, and the American Political Imaginary - human sciencesA sign, such as a written or spoken word, which refers to some concept, object or person, the signified.
Here things are getting better and better for women and people of color, and gay men and lesbians, more and more integrated and open, and all you can think about is some stupid, lame problem with signifiers and signifieds.
2001, Jonathan Franzen, The Corrections
Synonyms & antonyms
nounthe phonological or orthographic sound or appearance of a word that can be used to describe or identify something
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
Translations
Chinese Mandarin 能指
- 能指 (néngzhǐ)(linguistics) the sound of spoken word or string of letters on a page that a person recognizes as a sign
Czech signifikant
- signifikant(linguistics) the sound of spoken word or string of letters on a page that a person recognizes as a sign
Finnish merkitsin, merkityksen antaja
- merkitsin(linguistics) the sound of spoken word or string of letters on a page that a person recognizes as a sign
- merkityksen antajasomething or someone that signifies, makes something more significant or important
French signifiant
- signifiant(linguistics) the sound of spoken word or string of letters on a page that a person recognizes as a sign
German Signifikant
- Signifikant(linguistics) the sound of spoken word or string of letters on a page that a person recognizes as a sign
Japanese 能記, シニフィアン
- 能記 (nōki)(linguistics) the sound of spoken word or string of letters on a page that a person recognizes as a sign
- シニフィアン (shinifian)(linguistics) the sound of spoken word or string of letters on a page that a person recognizes as a sign
Russian означа́ющее
- означа́ющее (označájuščeje)(linguistics) the sound of spoken word or string of letters on a page that a person recognizes as a sign
Spanish significante
- significante(linguistics) the sound of spoken word or string of letters on a page that a person recognizes as a sign
Cite this entry
signifier. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/signifier
“signifier.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/signifier. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “signifier,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/signifier.
Source: signifier on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.