Dictionary

signifier en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈsɪɡnɪfaɪə/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˈsɪɡnɪfaɪɚ/ (General-American)

Etymology

From signify + -er.

Meanings

1. 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:
2. Something or someone that signifies, makes something more significant or important. ▸ A card representing a querent, question, or situation.
3. A 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:

Forms

Deriveds

floating signifier · master signifier · empty signifier

Relateds

referent · signified

Synonyms

significator

Translations (11)

fi merkitsin ((linguistics) the sound of spoken word or string of letters on a page that a person recognizes as a sign) · de Signifikant ((linguistics) the sound of spoken word or string of letters on a page that a person recognizes as a sign) · cs signifikant ((linguistics) the sound of spoken word or string of letters on a page that a person recognizes as a sign) · ru означа́ющее ((linguistics) the sound of spoken word or string of letters on a page that a person recognizes as a sign) · fr signifiant ((linguistics) the sound of spoken word or string of letters on a page that a person recognizes as a sign) · ks اِشارٕ ہاوَکھ ((linguistics) the sound of spoken word or string of letters on a page that a person recognizes as a sign) · cmn 能指 ((linguistics) the sound of spoken word or string of letters on a page that a person recognizes as a sign) · ja シニフィアン ((linguistics) the sound of spoken word or string of letters on a page that a person recognizes as a sign) · es significante ((linguistics) the sound of spoken word or string of letters on a page that a person recognizes as a sign) · fi merkityksen antaja (something or someone that signifies, makes something more significant or important) · ja 能記 ((linguistics) the sound of spoken word or string of letters on a page that a person recognizes as a sign)