signify

• POS: Verb (usu participle), Verb (intransitive), Verb (transitive)
• HYPHEN: sig=ni=fy
• COUNT in NET: 2 in 2 verses (in OT : 1 in 1 verses) (in NT : 1 in 1 verses)

CIDE DICTIONARY

signify, v. t. [F. signifier, L. significare; signum a sign + -ficare (in comp.) to make. See Sign, n., and -fy.].

•  To show by a sign; to communicate by any conventional token, as words, gestures, signals, or the like; to announce; to make known; to declare; to express; as, a signified his desire to be present.  [1913 Webster]

  "I 'll to the king; and signify to him
  That thus I have resign'd my charge to you."  [1913 Webster]

  "The government should signify to the Protestants of Ireland that want of silver is not to be remedied."  [1913 Webster]
•  To mean; to import; to denote; to betoken.  [1913 Webster]

  " Signify is often used impersonally; as, it signifies nothing, it does not signify, that is, it is of no importance."  [1913 Webster]

  "He bade her tell him what it signified."  [1913 Webster]

  "A tale
  Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
  Signifying nothing."  [1913 Webster]

Syn. -- To express; manifest; declare; utter; intimate; betoken; denote; imply; mean.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

signify, v. (-ies, -ied)
1 tr. be a sign or indication of (a yawn signifies boredom).
2 tr. mean; have as its meaning ('Dr' signifies 'doctor').
3 tr. communicate; make known (signified their agreement).
4 intr. be of importance; matter (it signifies little).

Derivative

signifier n.

Etymology

ME f. OF signifier f. L significare (as SIGN)

THESAURUS

signify

add up to, amount to something, announce, approve, argue, assign, attest, augur, be construed as, be featured, be indicative of, be prominent, be significant of, be somebody, be something, be symptomatic of, bear, bespeak, betoken, breathe, carry, carry weight, characterize, communicate, connote, convey, count, cut ice, cut some ice, declare, demonstrate, denominate, denote, designate, determine, differentiate, disclose, display, divine, entail, evidence, evince, exhibit, express, fix, foretoken, furnish evidence, get top billing, give evidence, give indication of, give token, go to show, highlight, hint, identify, illustrate, impart, imply, import, impress, indicate, intend, intimate, involve, make known, manifest, mark, matter, mean, mention, name, note, pick out, pin down, point out, point to, prefigure, preindicate, presign, presignal, presignify, pretypify, purport, refer to, represent, reveal, say, select, set, set forth, show, show signs of, sign, signal, signalize, speak for itself, speak volumes, specialize, specify, spell, stand for, stand out, star, state, stipulate, suggest, symbolize, symptomatize, symptomize, tell, tend to show, testify, token, typify, weigh

ROGET THESAURUS

signify

Importance

VB be important, be somebody, be something, import, signify, matter, boot, be an object, carry weight, make a figure, be in the ascendant, come to the front, lead the way, take the lead, play first fiddle, throw all else into the shade, lie at the root of, deserve notice, merit notice, be worthy of notice, be worthy of regard, be worthy of consideration, attach importance to, ascribe importance to, give importance to, value, care for, set store upon, set store by, mark, mark with a white stone, underline, write in italics, put in italics, print in italics, print in capitals, print in large letters, put in large type, put in letters, of gold, accentuate, emphasize, lay stress on, make a fuss about, make a fuss over, make a stir about, make a piece of work about, make much ado about, make much ado of, make much of.

Prediction

VB predict, prognosticate, prophesy, vaticinate, divine, foretell, soothsay, augurate, tell fortunes, cast a horoscope, cast a nativity, advise, forewarn, presage, augur, bode, abode, forebode, foretoken, betoken, prefigure, preshow, portend, foreshow, foreshadow, shadow forth, typify, pretypify, ominate, signify, point to, usher in, herald, premise, announce, lower, hold out expectation, raise expectation, excite expectation, excite hope, bid fair, promise, lead one to expect, be the precursor, extrapolate, project.

Meaning

VB mean, signify, express, import, purport, convey, imply, breathe, indicate, bespeak, bear a sense, tell of, speak of, touch on, point to, allude to, drive at, involve, declare, understand by.

Information

VB tell, inform, inform of, acquaint, acquaint with, impart, impart to, make acquaintance with, apprise, advise, enlighten, awaken, transmit, let fall, mention, express, intimate, represent, communicate, make known, publish, notify, signify, specify, convey the knowledge of, let one know, have one to know, give one to understand, give notice, set before, lay before, put before, point out, put into one's head, put one in possession of, instruct, direct the attention to, announce, annunciate, report, report progress, bringword, send word, leave word, write word, telegraph, telephone, wire, retail, render an account, give an account, state, let slip, blurt out, spill the beans, unburden oneself of, let off one's chest, disclose, show cause, explain, hint, given an inkling of, give a hint, drop a hint, throw out a hint, insinuate, allude to, make allusion to, glance at, tip the wink, suggest, prompt, give the cue, breathe, whisper, whisper in the ear, give a bit of one's mind, tell one plainly, tell once for all, speak volumes, undeceive, unbeguile, set right, correct, open the eyes of, disabuse, disillusion one of, be informed of, know, learn, get scent of, get wind of, gather from, awaken to, open one's eyes to, become alive, become awake to, hear, overhear, understand, come to one's ears, come to one's knowledge, reach one's ears.