From Old French segnal, seignal or Medieval Latin signāle; noun use of the neuter of Late Latin signālis, from Latin signum; verb use from 1805, as a shortened from signalize (1650s). Doublet of signum and sign.
Meanings
(not-comparable) Standing above others in rank, importance, or achievement.
As ſignal now in low dejected ſtate, / As earſt in higheſt, behold him where he lies. 1671, John Milton, “Samson Agonistes, […].”, in Paradise Regain’d. A Poem. In IV Books. To which is Added, Samson Agonistes, London: […] J[ohn] M[acock] for John Starkey […], →OCLC, page 27:
But, setting this view aside, dishonorable would it be in the South were she willing to abandon to shame the memory of brave men who with signal personal disinterestedness warred in her behalf, though from motives, as we believe, so deplorably astray. 1866, Herman Melville, Battle-Pieces and Aspects of the War, Supplement:
a signal exploit; a signal success; a signal act of benevolence
From Old French segnal, seignal or Medieval Latin signāle; noun use of the neuter of Late Latin signālis, from Latin signum; verb use from 1805, as a shortened from signalize (1650s). Doublet of signum and sign.
Meanings
A sequence of states representing an encoded message in a communication channel.
Any variation of a quantity or change in an entity over time that conveys information upon detection.
A sign made to give notice of some occurrence, command, or danger, or to indicate the start of a concerted action.
All obeyed / The wonted signal and superior voice / Of this great potentate. 1667, John Milton, “Book V”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:
Banner-Repeater signals tend to be provided in locations where drivers receive insufficient warning of the main signal, thereby effectively increasing the sighting distance for the main signal. 2020 December 30, David Allen, “Unusual signals...”, in Rail, page 64:
An on-off light, semaphore, or other device used to give an indication to another person.
An on-off light, semaphore, or other device used to give an indication to another person. ▸ A railway signal.
(Internet, TV, of a radio, usually) An electromagnetic action, normally a voltage that is a function of time, that conveys the information of the radio or TV program or of communication with another party.
My mobile phone can't get a signal in the railway station.
An action, change or process done to convey information and thus reduce uncertainty.
A token; an indication; a foreshadowing; a sign.
Did I get it wrong all along? / You were sending signals / You sent certain signals to me 2023, Róisín Murphy, “Hurtz So Bad”, in Hit Parade:
There was not the least signal of the calamity to be seen. 1722, Daniel Defoe, A Journal of the Plague Year:
The weary sun […] / Gives signal of a goodly day to-morrow. c. 1593 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Richard the Third: […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene iii]:
Useful information, as opposed to noise.
(Unix) A simple interprocess communication used to notify a process or thread of an occurrence.
subsignal (Terms derived from signal (noun)) · signal boost (Terms derived from signal (noun)) · magnetosignal (Terms derived from signal (noun)) · sigint (Terms derived from signal (noun)) · signalment (Terms derived from signal (noun)) · starting signal (Terms derived from signal (noun)) · signal indication (Terms derived from signal (noun)) · railway signal (Terms derived from signal (noun)) · ball signal (Terms derived from signal (noun)) · myosignal (Terms derived from signal (noun)) · signal passed at danger (Terms derived from signal (noun)) · signal timing (Terms derived from signal (noun)) · main signal (Terms derived from signal (noun)) · intersignal (Terms derived from signal (noun)) · ground signal (Terms derived from signal (noun)) · picosignal (Terms derived from signal (noun)) · signal strength (Terms derived from signal (noun)) · signalization (Terms derived from signal (noun)) · phosphosignal (Terms derived from signal (noun)) · presignal (Terms derived from signal (noun)) · signalman (Terms derived from signal (noun)) · virtue signal (Terms derived from signal (noun)) · signalbox (Terms derived from signal (noun)) · discrete-time signal (Terms derived from signal (noun)) · signality (Terms derived from signal (noun)) · signal lad (Terms derived from signal (noun)) · signal-noise ratio (Terms derived from signal (noun)) · biosignal (Terms derived from signal (noun)) · SIGINT (Terms derived from signal (noun)) · phylosignal (Terms derived from signal (noun)) · fog signal (Terms derived from signal (noun)) · multisignal (Terms derived from signal (noun)) · signal aspect (Terms derived from signal (noun)) · right-away signal (Terms derived from signal (noun)) · signalee (Terms derived from signal (noun)) · signalism (Terms derived from signal (noun)) · danger signal (Terms derived from signal (noun)) · cosignal (Terms derived from signal (noun)) · signalless (Terms derived from signal (noun)) · signalosome (Terms derived from signal (noun)) · semaphore signal (Terms derived from signal (noun)) · signal fly (Terms derived from signal (noun)) · signalic (Terms derived from signal (noun)) · mechanosignal (Terms derived from signal (noun)) · immunosignal (Terms derived from signal (noun)) · signal processing (Terms derived from signal (noun)) · pyrosignal (Terms derived from signal (noun)) · signal gantry (Terms derived from signal (noun)) · time signal (Terms derived from signal (noun)) · false signal (Terms derived from signal (noun)) · analog signal (Terms derived from signal (noun)) · block signal (Terms derived from signal (noun)) · danger-signal (Terms derived from signal (noun)) · home signal (Terms derived from signal (noun)) · signalmaster (Terms derived from signal (noun)) · equisignal (Terms derived from signal (noun)) · starter signal (Terms derived from signal (noun)) · mixed signal (Terms derived from signal (noun)) · hypersignal (Terms derived from signal (noun)) · busy signal (Terms derived from signal (noun)) · distress signal (Terms derived from signal (noun)) · smoke-signal (Terms derived from signal (noun)) · signal-to-noise (Terms derived from signal (noun)) · signalperson (Terms derived from signal (noun)) · price signal (Terms derived from signal (noun)) · signal box (Terms derived from signal (noun)) · -trigine (Terms derived from signal (noun)) · gang signal (Terms derived from signal (noun)) · directional signal (Terms derived from signal (noun)) · signal tracer (Terms derived from signal (noun)) · foresignal (Terms derived from signal (noun)) · smoke signal (Terms derived from signal (noun)) · clock signal (Terms derived from signal (noun)) · countersignal (Terms derived from signal (noun)) · traffic signal box (Terms derived from signal (noun)) · radio signal (Terms derived from signal (noun)) · signalisation (Terms derived from signal (noun)) · hyposignal (Terms derived from signal (noun)) · signal check (Terms derived from signal (noun)) · signalwoman (Terms derived from signal (noun)) · cab signal (Terms derived from signal (noun)) · signal bridge (Terms derived from signal (noun)) · signalhood (Terms derived from signal (noun)) · signal cabin (Terms derived from signal (noun)) · somersault signal (Terms derived from signal (noun)) · hand signal (Terms derived from signal (noun)) · colour light signal (Terms derived from signal (noun)) · signalpost (Terms derived from signal (noun)) · dwarf signal (Terms derived from signal (noun)) · signal pistol (Terms derived from signal (noun)) · signal phrase (Terms derived from signal (noun)) · time-signal (Terms derived from signal (noun)) · fast busy signal (Terms derived from signal (noun)) · traffic signal (Terms derived from signal (noun)) · signal post (Terms derived from signal (noun)) · time reversal signal processing (Terms derived from signal (noun)) · shunting signal (Terms derived from signal (noun)) · digital signal (Terms derived from signal (noun)) · stop signal (Terms derived from signal (noun)) · signal transduction (Terms derived from signal (noun)) · signal fire (Terms derived from signal (noun)) · chemosignal (Terms derived from signal (noun)) · distant signal (Terms derived from signal (noun)) · soft signal (Terms derived from signal (noun)) · signal tower (Terms derived from signal (noun)) · signal-to-noise ratio (Terms derived from signal (noun)) · Bat-Signal (Terms derived from signal (noun)) · signal crayfish (Terms derived from signal (noun)) · signalase (Terms derived from signal (noun)) · signalome (Terms derived from signal (noun)) · turn signal (Terms derived from signal (noun)) · signalese (Terms derived from signal (noun))
hu jel (telecommunication: electromagnetic action that conveys information) · hu jelzés (sign made to give notice) · fa-ira اِشارِه (sign made to give notice) · sv signal (sign made to give notice) · kmr îşaret (sign made to give notice) · nl signaal (telecommunication: electromagnetic action that conveys information) · ps زيګنال (sign made to give notice) · nl signaal (sign made to give notice) · ko 시그널 (sign made to give notice) · hu térerősség (telecommunication: electromagnetic action that conveys information) · ar إِشَارَة (sign made to give notice) · ug ئىشارەت (sign made to give notice) · cs signál (sign made to give notice) · fi merkki (sign made to give notice) · fi signaali (useful information as opposed to noise) · sq sinjal (sign made to give notice) · fi signaali (telecommunication: electromagnetic action that conveys information) · km សញ្ញា (sign made to give notice) · my လက္ခဏာ (sign made to give notice) · nb signal (device to give indication) · ro semnal indicator (device to give indication) · be сыгна́л (sign made to give notice) · fi enne (foreshadowing) · is merki (sign made to give notice) · lv signāls (sign made to give notice) · uz signal (sign made to give notice) · mn ᠳᠣᠬᠢᠶᠠ (sign made to give notice) · tr sinyal (telecommunication: electromagnetic action that conveys information) · hu szemafor (device to give indication) · bg сигна́л (telecommunication: electromagnetic action that conveys information) · fi opastin (device to give indication) · cs signál (device to give indication) · hy ազդակ (sign made to give notice) · ru знак (foreshadowing) · te సంకేతం (sign made to give notice) · sh sìgnāl (sign made to give notice) · gl sinal (telecommunication: electromagnetic action that conveys information) · cs znamení (sign made to give notice) · es señal (action, change or process to convey information) · ka სიგნალი (sign made to give notice) · id padah (foreshadowing) · lo ສັນຍານ (sign made to give notice) · hu rádiójel (telecommunication: electromagnetic action that conveys information) · uk знак (sign made to give notice) · es señal (device to give indication) · tg сигнал (sign made to give notice) · pt sinal (useful information as opposed to noise) · be сігна́л (sign made to give notice) · bg знак (foreshadowing) · uz ishora (sign made to give notice) · es señal (sign made to give notice) · tr sinyal (sign made to give notice) · az siqnal (sign made to give notice) · pt sinal (telecommunication: electromagnetic action that conveys information) · ca senyal (device to give indication) · ca senyal (telecommunication: electromagnetic action that conveys information) · hu index (sign made to give notice) · kk сигнал (sign made to give notice) · sh сѝгна̄л (sign made to give notice) · bn সংকেত (sign made to give notice) · id sinyal (telecommunication: electromagnetic action that conveys information) · nb signal (telecommunication: electromagnetic action that conveys information) · fi merkinantolaite (device to give indication) · el σήμα (sign made to give notice) · vi tín hiệu (telecommunication: electromagnetic action that conveys information) · es señal (telecommunication: electromagnetic action that conveys information) · tg ишорат (sign made to give notice) · tr işaret (sign made to give notice) · nn signal (telecommunication: electromagnetic action that conveys information) · eo signalo (action, change or process to convey information) · uk сигна́л (sign made to give notice) · cmn 信號 /信号 (sign made to give notice) · mk сигнал (sign made to give notice) · ru сигна́л (sign made to give notice) · id pertanda (foreshadowing) · az işarə (sign made to give notice) · et signaal (sign made to give notice) · da signal (telecommunication: electromagnetic action that conveys information) · hu térerő (telecommunication: electromagnetic action that conveys information) · ro semnal (sign made to give notice) · kmr sînyal (sign made to give notice) · hu jelzőberendezés (device to give indication) · mh bar (telecommunication: electromagnetic action that conveys information) · eo signalo (telecommunication: electromagnetic action that conveys information) · it segnale (sign made to give notice) · hi संकेत (sign made to give notice) · pt sinal (sign made to give notice) · cmn 信号 (telecommunication: electromagnetic action that conveys information) · fi signaali (sign made to give notice) · be знак (sign made to give notice) · ug سىگنال (sign made to give notice) · bn ইশারা (sign made to give notice) · hu jeladás (sign made to give notice) · fi signaali (computing: simple interprocess communication) · sl signal (sign made to give notice) · pt sinal (device to give indication) · ps سيګنل (sign made to give notice) · fr signal (device to give indication) · ru сигна́л (useful information as opposed to noise) · ur اِشارَہ (sign made to give notice) · ru сигна́л (computing: simple interprocess communication) · eo signalo (sign made to give notice) · ky сигнал (sign made to give notice) · bg сигна́л (useful information as opposed to noise) · hy ազդանշան (sign made to give notice) · ro semnal (telecommunication: electromagnetic action that conveys information) · prs اِشَارَه (sign made to give notice) · fr signal (sign made to give notice) · sv signal (telecommunication: electromagnetic action that conveys information) · gl sinal (sign made to give notice) · ko 신호 (sign made to give notice) · hu jel (sign made to give notice) · ru сигна́л (telecommunication: electromagnetic action that conveys information) · he אוֹת (sign made to give notice) · sk znamenie (sign made to give notice) · nl sein (sign made to give notice) · sw ishara (sign made to give notice) · te సంజ్ఞ (sign made to give notice) · lt signalas (sign made to give notice) · ja 電波 (telecommunication: electromagnetic action that conveys information) · ja 信号 (sign made to give notice) · id anggai (sign made to give notice) · fr signal (computing: simple interprocess communication) · ja シグナル (sign made to give notice) · nl sein (device to give indication) · bg сигна́л (computing: simple interprocess communication) · vi tín hiệu (sign made to give notice) · yi סיגנאַל (sign made to give notice) · nl signaal (computing: simple interprocess communication) · nb signal (sign made to give notice) · it segnale (telecommunication: electromagnetic action that conveys information) · id isyarat (sign made to give notice) · ko 전파 (telecommunication: electromagnetic action that conveys information) · tk signal (sign made to give notice) · pt rede (telecommunication: electromagnetic action that conveys information) · gl sinal (device to give indication) · km សង្កេត (sign made to give notice) · fi ennusmerkki (foreshadowing) · km តម្រុយ (sign made to give notice) · da signal (sign made to give notice) · ps اشاره (sign made to give notice) · it campo (telecommunication: electromagnetic action that conveys information) · sk signál (sign made to give notice) · de Signal (device to give indication) · ru семафо́р (device to give indication) · cmn 訊號 /讯号 (sign made to give notice) · nn signal (device to give indication) · hu szignál (sign made to give notice) · id sinyal (useful information as opposed to noise) · hi इशारा (sign made to give notice) · tk yşarat (sign made to give notice) · pl sygnał (device to give indication) · ca senyal (sign made to give notice) · ru знак (sign made to give notice) · mn дохио (sign made to give notice) · tg ишора (sign made to give notice) · nn signal (sign made to give notice) · id sinyal (computing: simple interprocess communication) · th สัญญาณ (sign made to give notice) · pt sinal (foreshadowing) · de Signal (sign made to give notice) · ota اشارت (sign made to give notice) · bg сигна́л (sign made to give notice) · ro semnalizator (device to give indication) · ms isyarat (sign made to give notice) · bg семафо́р (device to give indication) · sv signal (device to give indication) · ja 合図 (sign made to give notice) · fa-ira سیگْنال (sign made to give notice) · da signal (device to give indication) · id isyarat (useful information as opposed to noise) · it segnale (device to give indication) · he סִיגְנָל (sign made to give notice) · pl sygnał (sign made to give notice)
From Old French segnal, seignal or Medieval Latin signāle; noun use of the neuter of Late Latin signālis, from Latin signum; verb use from 1805, as a shortened from signalize (1650s). Doublet of signum and sign.
Meanings
(ambitransitive) To indicate; to convey or communicate by a signal.
I signaled for our waiter and ordered two Glenlivets, the only single malt they had behind the bar. 2015, Andy Nottenkamper, A Rule Not Followed:
He whistled to signal that we should stop.
My arms wheeled frantically in the air as I tried to signal for help.
It is the latest step towards an airline-style advance booking-only system, which rail users have denounced as signalling the end of affordable, immediate travel. 2024 February 7, Mel Holley, “Network News: LNER ditches Off-Peak for 70min semi-flexible fare”, in RAIL, number 1002, page 6:
I signalled my acquiescence with a nod.
In order to accommodate the new platform 4 and the reversibly signalled slow line, a deep cutting had to be cut back and held up in places with a concrete retaining wall. 1962 June, David Walters, “The new station and layout at Coventry”, in Modern Railways, page 405:
The break with tradition that Francis, who has died aged 88 after suffering from double pneumonia, represented even managed to trump the shock value of the resignation of Benedict, who was the first pope for 600 years to take that option rather than die in office. Immediately, Bergoglio signalled unambiguously that he intended to be a different kind of pope, one for the 21st century. 2025 April 21, Peter Stanford, “Pope Francis obituary”, in The Guardian, archived from the original on 26 Jul 2025:
(transitive) To communicate with (a person or system) by a signal.
Seeing the flames, he ran to the control room and signalled headquarters.