# signature

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈsɪɡnət͡ʃə(ɹ)/ · frequency rank #4,713

## Definitions
1. A person's name, written by that person, used as identification or to signify approval of accompanying material, such as a legal contract.
2. An act of signing one's name; an act of producing a signature.
3. The part of a doctor’s prescription containing directions for the patient.
4. Signs on the stave indicating key and tempo, composed of the key signature and the time signature.
5. A group of four (or a multiple of four) sheets printed such that, when folded, they become a section of a book.
6. A pattern used for matching the identity of a virus, the parameter types of a method, etc.
7. Data attached to a message that guarantees that the message originated from its claimed source.
8. A mark or sign of implication.
9. A distinguishing feature or product.
10. A tuple specifying the sign of coefficients in any diagonal form of a quadratic form.
11. A resemblance between the external character of a disease and those of some physical agent, for instance, that existing between the red skin of scarlet fever and a red cloth; supposed to indicate this agent in the treatment of the disease.
12. Text (or images, etc.) appended to a user's emails, newsgroup posts, forum posts, etc. as a way of adding a personal touch or including contact details.

## Etymology
Borrowed from Middle French signature, or from Medieval Latin signātūra, future active periphrastic of verb signāre from signum (“sign”), + -tūra, feminine of -tūrus, future active periphrastic suffix. Displaced native Old English handseten (literally “hand setting”).

## Easily confused with
- **signatory** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/signatory-vs-signature)

## Common misspellings (13)
`isgnature`, `sginature`, `siganture`, `siggnature`, `signatrue`, `signatture`, `signatuer`, `signaturre`, `signautre`, `signnature`, `signtaure`, `singature`, `ssignature`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/signature