sign

The word “sign” means a visible indication that something exists, is happening, or is about to happen. In plain terms, something that points to a fact or event, a notice board, or the act of writing your name to confirm something.

“Sign” is pronounced syn (/saɪn/ in IPA).

Here is “sign” used in a sentence: “Dark clouds are a sign that rain is coming.”

Depending on how it is used, “sign” can be a noun and a verb.

The word “sign” comes from Latin. From Old French signe and Old English seġn, both going back to Latin signum ("mark, token").

“Sign” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.

“Sign” has 4 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a visible indication that something exists, is happening, or is about to happen.

A sign points directly to the existence or occurrence of something — smoke is a sign of fire, and a limp is a sign of injury. A symbol stands for something else by agreement or convention — a dove symbolises peace, a heart love. Signs indicate; symbols represent by shared meaning.

A sign is outward evidence that anyone can observe, such as a rash, a footprint or dark clouds. A symptom is something only the affected person can feel, like pain, dizziness or nausea. In medicine especially, signs are visible to others while symptoms are experienced privately by the patient.

Everyday examples include smoke as a sign of fire, dark clouds as a sign of coming rain, a limp as a sign of injury, or falling leaves as a sign of autumn. In each case, one visible thing reveals that something exists, is happening, or is about to happen.

Broadly, there are natural signs and conventional signs. Natural signs occur without anyone intending them — footprints, storm clouds or a fever. Conventional signs are agreed on by people, such as a thumbs-up, a nod or a red light. Both work by pointing beyond themselves to something else.