signifier

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

When Kafka died of tuberculosis in 1924 at age 40, he was virtually unknown; by the late 1930s he was an international phenomenon, his surname a signifier of bureaucratic inhumanity and modern unease.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 15, 2026

A statement from trust said it had already implemented a programme of "signifier change".

From BBC • Jan. 23, 2026

I asked Turner: If she were back at the beginning of the generative A.I. boom and had the power to dictate the industry’s UX moves, what would she use as the signifier of A.I.?

From Slate • Dec. 26, 2025

Connolly is a fluent speaker and booster of the Irish language, which became a surprisingly important signifier in the race, as Humphreys “has no Irish,” to use the vernacular.

From Salon • Oct. 28, 2025

With every step on those cracked sidewalks, I passed a new signifier of urban decay.

From "The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates" by Wes Moore