Meanings
plural signposts · alternative sign-post
- A post bearing a sign that gives information on directions.
Dozens of signposts have been stolen, forcing the local authorities to put up the sign at a 2m height and embed it in theft-resistant concrete when putting up replacements.
2020 November 26, Philip Oltermann in Berlin, “Fugging hell: tired of mockery, Austrian village changes name”, in The Guardian, archived from the original on 15 Jan 2021 - crosswordingA word or phrase within a clue that serves as an indicator, rather than being fodder.
In the first example — Dance revolutionised Burma — you know the middle word is the signpost as revolutionised is too long to be the fodder (or letters to scramble). […] And bang, out jumps RUMBA.
2012, David Astle, Puzzled: Secrets and clues from a life in words
present singular third person signposts · participle present signposting · participle past signposted · past signposted · alternative sign-post
- transitivechiefly passive voiceTo install signposts on.
The route wasn't signposted, and we got lost on the way.
- figurativelytransitiveTo direct (somebody) to services, resources, etc.
We believe that some Carers' Centres already offer an effective 'first stop shop' for signposting carers to local organisations, services and benefits, and for providing ongoing support as carers' circumstances change.
2008, Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Work and Pensions Committee, Valuing and Supporting Carers (volume 1, page 31) - figurativelytransitiveTo signal (something) intentionally, as if with a signpost.
- figurativelytransitiveTo indicate (as the logical progress of a discourse) using words or phrases such as now, right, to recap, to sum up, as I was saying, etc.
1 more example
Bede, never one to shrink from a challenge, focused his energies not only onto calculating Easter but also onto describing why the maths mattered as much as the result. In this, his elevated rhetoric is balanced by a very human enthusiasm — it's hard not to love a writer who signposts his core hypotheses with phrases such as 'now to gut the bowels of this question!'
2013 August 8, Charlotte Mulcare, “The lost mathematicians: Numbers in the (not so) dark ages”, in plus.maths.org, retrieved 08 Sep 2013
Synonyms & antonyms
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
Translations
Bulgarian пътепоказа́тел
- пътепоказа́тел (pătepokazátel)post bearing a sign that gives information on directions
Catalan rètol, senyalitzar
- rètolpost bearing a sign that gives information on directions
- senyalitzarinstall signposts
Chinese Mandarin 路標 /路标
- 路標 /路标 (lùbiāo)post bearing a sign that gives information on directions
Czech rozcestník, směrová tabule
- rozcestníkpost bearing a sign that gives information on directions
- směrová tabulepost bearing a sign that gives information on directions
Dutch wegwijzer, bewegwijzeren
- wegwijzerpost bearing a sign that gives information on directions
- bewegwijzereninstall signposts
Finnish tienviitta, viitta
- tienviittapost bearing a sign that gives information on directions
- viittapost bearing a sign that gives information on directions
- viitoittaainstall signposts
French poteau indicateur
- poteau indicateurpost bearing a sign that gives information on directions
German Signalposten, Wegweiser
- Signalpostenpost bearing a sign that gives information on directions
- Wegweiserpost bearing a sign that gives information on directions
- Signalpfostenpost bearing a sign that gives information on directions
- Richtungsweiserpost bearing a sign that gives information on directions
- Schildpost bearing a sign that gives information on directions
- Hinweisschildpost bearing a sign that gives information on directions
- ausschilderninstall signposts
- beschilderninstall signposts
Greek οδοδείκτης
- οδοδείκτης (ododeíktis)post bearing a sign that gives information on directions
Hungarian útjelző/irányjelző/útirányjelző tábla, kitábláz
- útjelző/irányjelző/útirányjelző táblapost bearing a sign that gives information on directions
- kitáblázinstall signposts
- táblával/táblákkal jelez/jelölinstall signposts
- jelzőtáblával/jelzőtáblákkal ellátinstall signposts
Indonesian plang
- plangpost bearing a sign that gives information on directions
Irish craobh eolais, cuaille eolais
- craobh eolaispost bearing a sign that gives information on directions
- cuaille eolaispost bearing a sign that gives information on directions
- maide eolaispost bearing a sign that gives information on directions
Italian cartello
- cartellopost bearing a sign that gives information on directions
Japanese 道標
- 道標post bearing a sign that gives information on directions
Korean 푯말, 표지판
- 푯말 (pyonmal)post bearing a sign that gives information on directions
- 표지판 (pyojipan)post bearing a sign that gives information on directions
Māori poutohu
- poutohupost bearing a sign that gives information on directions
Norwegian Bokmål retningsskilt
- retningsskiltpost bearing a sign that gives information on directions
Polish drogowskaz, kierunkowskaz
- drogowskazpost bearing a sign that gives information on directions
- kierunkowskazpost bearing a sign that gives information on directions
- znakować drogęinstall signposts
Portuguese sinalizar
- sinalizarinstall signposts
Romanian indicator rutier, indicator
- indicator rutierpost bearing a sign that gives information on directions
- indicatorpost bearing a sign that gives information on directions
- indicator de drumpost bearing a sign that gives information on directions
Russian указа́тельный столб, указа́тель
- указа́тельный столб (ukazátelʹnyj stolb)post bearing a sign that gives information on directions
- указа́тель (ukazátelʹ)post bearing a sign that gives information on directions
Slovak ukazovateľ
- ukazovateľpost bearing a sign that gives information on directions
Spanish letrero, cartel
- letreropost bearing a sign that gives information on directions
- cartelpost bearing a sign that gives information on directions
- señalizarinstall signposts
Tamil ஆட்காட்டி, வழிகாட்டி
- ஆட்காட்டி (āṭkāṭṭi)post bearing a sign that gives information on directions
- வழிகாட்டி (vaḻikāṭṭi)post bearing a sign that gives information on directions
Ukrainian пока́жчик, дороговка́з
- пока́жчик (pokážčyk)post bearing a sign that gives information on directions
- дороговка́з (dorohovkáz)post bearing a sign that gives information on directions
- шляховка́зувач (šljaxovkázuvač)post bearing a sign that gives information on directions
- дороговка́зувач (dorohovkázuvač)post bearing a sign that gives information on directions
- вказівни́й стовп (vkazivnýj stovp)post bearing a sign that gives information on directions
Welsh arwyddbost, mynegbost
- arwyddbostpost bearing a sign that gives information on directions
- mynegbostpost bearing a sign that gives information on directions
Cite this entry
signpost. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/signpost
“signpost.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/signpost. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “signpost,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/signpost.
Source: signpost on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.